Pro-Palestinian Protests Disrupt Microsoft's 50th Anniversary Event

During Microsoft's 50th anniversary event, pro-Palestinian protests erupted as employees criticized the company's involvement in supplying AI technologies to the Israeli military amid the ongoing Gaza conflict. Ibtihal Aboussad interrupted AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman's keynote, accusing Microsoft of complicity in genocide and calling for an end to its military contracts. Another employee, Vaniya Agrawal, later confronted former CEOs Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer, echoing similar sentiments and mentioning the No Azure for Apartheid movement. The protests were reportedly inspired by an AP investigation revealing Microsoft and OpenAI's AI models were used in Israeli military operations, including a tragic airstrike that killed civilians. Despite the disruptions, Microsoft maintained that protests should not disrupt business operations and did not address specific allegations during the event. The protests highlight growing tensions within the tech industry regarding ethical practices in relation to international conflicts.