On Friday afternoon, a protester disrupted Microsoft’s Copilot-focused keynote, drawing attention to the company’s alleged ties with the Israeli military.
The protester exclaimed, “Shame on you,” and accused Microsoft of hypocrisy, stating, “You claim to care about using AI for good, but Microsoft sells AI weapons to the Israeli military… The entire company has blood on its hands.”
Microsoft’s Head of Consumer AI, Mustafa Suleyman, whose segment of the keynote was interrupted, acknowledged the protester several times, saying, “I hear your protest, thank you.”
In a report released in February, the Associated Press revealed that advanced AI models developed by Microsoft and OpenAI, a close collaborator, were utilized by the Israeli military to identify bombing targets during recent conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. According to reports, one errant bombing resulted in the deaths of several young girls and their grandmother.
The alleged involvement of Microsoft has sparked multiple protests, including ones staged by the company’s own employees.
Updated 12:20 p.m. Pacific: A second protester interrupted a panel discussion featuring CEO Satya Nadella and former CEOs Steve Ballmer and Bill Gates later in the keynote. According to The Verge, both protests were coordinated by No Azure for Apartheid, a long-running movement among some Microsoft employees.
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