- Two Microsoft employees fired after disrupting 50th anniversary event
- Protests target Azure cloud services used in Israeli military operations
- AP investigation links Microsoft AI to controversial bombing target systems
- 2023 Israeli airstrike killed four civilians using disputed targeting tech
- Follows pattern of tech worker activism seen at Google in 2023
The confrontation unfolded during Microsoft’s carefully orchestrated anniversary celebrations, where software engineer Ibtihal Aboussad directly challenged AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman about the company’s military contracts. “Your algorithms are selecting targets in residential neighborhoods,” Aboussad declared before security removed her from the live-streamed event. Internal communications reveal at least 37 employees had previously petitioned leadership about the $480 million Azure government contract through Microsoft’s “Ethical AI” review channel.
Industry analysts note a 214% increase in tech worker organizing around defense contracts since 2020, with particular focus on machine learning applications. “The line between enterprise software and weapons systems has completely vanished,” stated MIT Technology Review editor Karen Hao during a recent panel on militarized AI. Microsoft’s HoloLens augmented reality gear, originally developed for gaming, now forms part of a $22 billion IDF modernization initiative.
A regional case study underscores these concerns: The January 2023 strike in southern Lebanon that killed three sisters (aged 4-9) and their 62-year-old grandmother reportedly used targeting data cross-referenced through Microsoft’s Azure Cognitive Services. While the company denies direct weapons development, leaked procurement documents show customized AI training modules for aerial threat analysis delivered to Israeli contractors in 2022.
The firings follow established patterns in tech labor disputes. Last year’s Project Nimbus protests at Google resulted in 78 terminations, with 53% of affected workers subsequently filing NLRB complaints. Microsoft’s Friday statement emphasized “balanced discourse without operational disruption,” but former FTC compliance officer Janet Lee argues: “When shareholder meetings become the only ‘approved’ protest venue, corporations effectively silence ethical objections.”
As generative AI adoption accelerates, worker coalitions are deploying new strategies. The No Azure for Apartheid group recently coordinated with 19 institutional investors controlling $4.6 trillion in assets to demand contract transparency. “Engineers didn’t sign up to build automated war machines,” said fired employee Vaniya Agrawal in a post-termination interview. Microsoft stock dipped 1.4% in after-hours trading following the protest footage going viral across developer forums.
