Redmond: US tech giant Microsoft has fired two software engineers who protested the company's AI technology supply to the Israeli military.
According to Anadolu Agency, Ibtihal Aboussad, a software engineer in Microsoft's AI division, was terminated on Monday for "willful misconduct, disobedience, or neglect of duty." Vaniya Agrawal, another engineer, had planned to resign on April 11, but her resignation was made effective immediately on the same day.
The protests initiated on Friday when Aboussad interrupted AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman's presentation during the company's 50th-anniversary event. She accused Microsoft of enabling the Israeli military with AI weapons, stating: "50,000 people have died, and Microsoft powers this genocide in our region." Later, Agrawal disrupted a separate panel featuring CEO Satya Nadella, former CEO Steve Ballmer, and founder Bill Gates, urging them to "cut ties with Israel."
Following these events, Aboussad sent an email to Microsoft staff and executives, claiming that the company suppressed employee dissent. The email included a link to a petition from "No Azure for Apartheid," a group of Microsoft employees who have previously protested the company's connections to Israel. Microsoft responded by acknowledging Aboussad's "misconduct" and stated that the "immediate cessation" of his employment was necessary.
Similarly, Agrawal criticized Microsoft's role in the military-industrial complex in an email, accusing the company of being "complicit" in supporting surveillance, apartheid, and genocide. A Microsoft spokesperson commented: "We provide many avenues for all voices to be heard. Importantly, we ask that this be done in a way that does not cause business disruption. If that happens, we ask participants to relocate."
The Israeli military uses AI to analyze intelligence, intercept communications, and track enemy movements, leading to significant casualties. Over 50,700 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, with most being women and children. Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.