During Microsoft’s 50th anniversary event, employee Ibtihal Aboussad disrupted CEO Mustafa Suleyman’s speech, accusing Microsoft AI of being used for “genocide” in Palestine and calling him a “war profiteer.”
She stated that Microsoft has “blood on its hands” for enabling the killing of children. Shortly after being escorted out, Aboussad emailed hundreds/thousands of Microsoft employees explaining her protest.
In the email, software engineer Aboussad cited learning that her AI Platform org was “powering the genocide of my people in Palestine,” leaving her with “no other moral choice.” She detailed alleged silencing and retaliation against dissenting Arab, Palestinian, and Muslim employees at Microsoft.
Aboussad asserted that Microsoft’s AI and cloud services are directly aiding Israel’s military in its actions against Palestinians, referencing a $133 million contract and a surge in Israeli military usage of Microsoft Azure.
She claimed that Microsoft’s technology is used for surveillance and targeting, contributing to the killing of civilians. Aboussad urged colleagues to sign a petition demanding that Microsoft cut ties with the Israeli military and to speak out against the company’s complicity, referencing past instances of Microsoft supporting human rights.
