Microsoft Fires Two for Protesting AI Contracts

As Microsoft's 50th anniversary event unfolded last week, protests took place on the company's campus that led to a pair of swift dismissals. The AP reports that two employees were fired for protesting and interrupting speeches Friday at the company's campus in Redmond, Washington, objecting to Microsoft's involvement with the Israeli military through AI technology. Ibtihal Aboussad, a Microsoft software engineer, accused the company of selling AI weapons to Israel. "Fifty-thousand people have died, and Microsoft powers this genocide in our region," Aboussad said at one point, claiming the company had "blood on its hands," per CNBC.

Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman paused his talk to reply, "Thank you for your protest, I hear you," per the AP; the Verge has video. Aboussad was escorted out after hurling a keffiyeh scarf on the stage. Later that day, Vaniya Agrawal caused a similar disruption. Both staffers wrote letters to company execs after their outbursts to explain their stance. "I did not sign up to write code that violates human rights," Aboussad wrote in her note, per CNBC. Aboussad was informed of her termination on a Monday video call. A company document indicated Aboussad had been let go for "just cause, wilful misconduct, disobedience, or [willful] neglect of duty." Agrawal, meanwhile, was notified of her termination via email, after previously announcing she'd be leaving the company on April 11.

Instead, on Monday, Microsoft "decided to make your resignation immediately effective today," per docs seen by CNBC. The group "No Azure for Apartheid" is supporting the two ex-employees, campaigning against Microsoft's Azure cloud platform sales to Israel. An AP investigation disclosed that Microsoft's AI models were used in Israeli military operations. This included an errant airstrike in 2023 killing civilians. Five Microsoft employees previously protested to CEO Satya Nadella in February. Microsoft maintains that open avenues for employee voices exist, but in a statement, the company insists that any complaints "be done in a way that does not cause a business disruption," per the AP. (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)