Microsoft Workers Condemn Use of Company’s AI in Gaza Assaults during Anniversary Event
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Microsoft’s commemorative event in Washington state faced protests from within, as employees called out the company’s complicity in Israeli crimes against Palestinians through the use of its AI technologies.
Software engineer Ibithal Aboussad, a member of Microsoft’s artificial intelligence speech recognition team, confronted Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman during his speech at the event.
“Mustafa, shame on you,” Aboussad said as she approached the stage.
“You claim that you care for using AI for good, but Microsoft sells AI weapons to the Israeli military,” she added. “Fifty thousand people have died, and Microsoft powers this genocide in our region.”
Suleyman acknowledged the protester as she continued speaking before being escorted out.
“Shame on you. You are a war profiteer. Stop using AI for genocide, Mustafa,” Aboussad said. “Stop using AI for genocide in our region. You have blood on your hands. All of Microsoft has blood on its hands.”
At a separate event later that day, attended by Suleyman and former Microsoft CEOs Steve Ballmer and Bill Gates, another protester interrupted to express opposition to the company’s ties to Israel.
“Shame on you all. You're all hypocrites,” said Vaniya Agrawal, a software engineer in Microsoft’s AI division, before being removed from the room.
“Fifty thousand Palestinians in Gaza have been murdered with Microsoft technology,” she said. “How dare you. Shame on all of you for celebrating on their blood. Cut ties with Israel.”
Agrawal later sent an email to Microsoft leadership indicating her intention to resign, according to CNBC.
“By working for this company, we are all complicit,” she wrote.
Microsoft responded in a statement saying it remains committed to upholding the highest standards of business conduct.
“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,” the company said.
According to CNBC, after her protest, Aboussad also emailed Microsoft executives, stating she was unaware her work would be used for military applications.
“I was not informed that Microsoft would sell my work to the Israeli military and government,” she wrote. “I did not sign up to write code that violates human rights.”
The protests come amid broader concerns within the tech industry, as several AI companies have recently reversed bans on military use of their technologies and entered agreements with the US Department of Defense and defense contractors.
