Microsoft terminated two employees who disrupted the company’s 50th anniversary celebration by protesting its provision of artificial intelligence technology to the Israeli military. This information was reported by a group representing the workers.
The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.
The protests commenced on Friday when Ibtihal Aboussad, a Microsoft software engineer, approached the stage where an executive was unveiling new product features and outlining a long-term vision for Microsoft’s AI objectives. Aboussad accused Microsoft of contradicting its claim of using AI for good, alleging that it supplies AI weapons to the Israeli military, contributing to significant loss of life. The incident interrupted the livestreamed speech by Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI.
The event, which marked the 50th anniversary of Microsoft’s founding, was attended by prominent figures, including co-founder Bill Gates and former CEO Steve Ballmer. Suleyman acknowledged the protest, which was streamed from Microsoft’s campus in Redmond, Washington, by thanking Aboussad and expressing that he heard her concerns. Aboussad continued her protest, accusing Suleyman and the company of having blood on their hands before a keffiyeh scarf, a symbol of support for Palestinian people, was thrown onto the stage, and she was escorted out.
Later in the event, another protester, Vaniya Agrawal, also a Microsoft employee, disrupted proceedings. Subsequently, Aboussad was informed via a video call with a human resources representative on Monday that she was being terminated immediately. Agrawal received her termination notice through email. These details were provided by the advocacy group No Azure for Apartheid, which opposes the sale of Microsoft’s Azure cloud computing platform to Israel.
A report earlier this year by The Associated Press revealed that AI models from Microsoft and OpenAI had been employed in an Israeli military program to select bombing targets during recent conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. The report also highlighted an Israeli airstrike in 2023 that wrongly hit a vehicle carrying a Lebanese family, resulting in several deaths.
In a related incident in February, five Microsoft employees were dismissed from a meeting with CEO Satya Nadella for protesting related contracts.
Microsoft released a statement on Friday emphasizing its commitment to providing avenues for all voices to be heard, specifying the importance of avoiding business disruptions during protests. The company did not specify whether further actions were planned but noted its commitment to maintaining high standards in business practices. Aboussad reported losing access to her work accounts shortly after the protest.
Similarly, dozens of Google employees were dismissed the previous year following internal protests against a contract that supplied AI technology to the Israeli government. These protests targeted a $1.2 billion deal, known as Project Nimbus. The fired Google employees later filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board seeking reinstatement of their jobs.
This story was first reported on Fortune.com.
