Microsoft’s 50th anniversary celebration on Friday took an
unexpected turn when employees staged a pro-Palestinian protest during a
high-profile presentation by the company’s AI Chief, Mustafa Suleyman. The
protest was in response to Microsoft’s alleged involvement in providing
artificial intelligence technology to the Israeli military.
The incident occurred while Suleyman was delivering a
keynote on the future of Microsoft’s AI assistant, Copilo. A Microsoft
employee, identified as Ibtihal Aboussad, interrupted the speech by walking
towards the stage and accusing the company of being complicit in genocide.
“Mustafa, shame on you,” she shouted, before claiming that
Microsoft was aiding Israeli military operations through AI technology. “You
claim to care about using AI for good, but Microsoft sells AI weapons to the
Israeli military. Fifty thousand people have died, and Microsoft powers this
genocide in our region,” she said.
Suleyman briefly paused and responded, “Thank you for your
protest, I hear you,” while security personnel moved in. Before being escorted
out, Aboussad threw a keffiyeh scarf—widely recognized as a symbol of
Palestinian solidarity—onto the stage.
The protest did not end there. Another employee, Vaniya
Agrawal, disrupted a later segment of the event that featured Microsoft
co-founder Bill Gates, former CEO Steve Ballmer, and current CEO Satya Nadella.
This marked the first public appearance of the three leaders together since
2014.
According to a report by the Associated Press earlier this
year, AI models developed by Microsoft and OpenAI were allegedly used by the
Israeli military to assist in selecting bombing targets in Gaza and Lebanon.
The report cited a specific case from 2023 where an Israeli airstrike
mistakenly killed a Lebanese family, including three children and their
grandmother.
In a brief statement issued after the protest, Microsoft
said, “We provide many avenues for all voices to be heard. Importantly, we ask
that this be done in a way that does not cause a business disruption. If that
happens, we ask participants to relocate. We are committed to ensuring our
business practices uphold the highest standards.”
While the company did not confirm any disciplinary actions,
Aboussad told the Associated Press that both she and Agrawal had lost access to
their work accounts following the demonstration, suggesting they may have been
suspended or terminated.
This is not the first time Microsoft employees have raised
concerns about the company’s military contracts. In February, five employees
were removed from an internal meeting with CEO Satya Nadella after expressing
similar objections. However, Friday’s protest was the first to occur during a
public, livestreamed event.
The protest has sparked renewed debate over the ethical
responsibilities of tech companies in global conflicts. As Microsoft continues
to expand its AI capabilities, questions surrounding transparency,
accountability, and human rights remain at the forefront of public discourse.