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Microsoft Employee Disrupts 50th Anniversary and Calls AI Boss 'War Profiteer' (theverge.com) 174

An anonymous reader shares a report: A Microsoft employee disrupted the company's 50th anniversary event to protest its use of AI. "Shame on you," said Microsoft employee Ibtihal Aboussad, speaking directly to Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman. "You are a war profiteer. Stop using AI for genocide. Stop using AI for genocide in our region. You have blood on your hands. All of Microsoft has blood on its hands. How dare you all celebrate when Microsoft is killing children. Shame on you all."
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Microsoft Employee Disrupts 50th Anniversary and Calls AI Boss 'War Profiteer'

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  • Well... (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Rinnon ( 1474161 ) on Friday April 04, 2025 @02:46PM (#65281901)
    I'm sure his conscience is clear, but I suspect so is his schedule now; unless he pre-lined up a new job that doesn't see this as a reason to retract their offer.
    • Re:Well... (Score:5, Insightful)

      by fahrbot-bot ( 874524 ) on Friday April 04, 2025 @03:04PM (#65281983)

      I'm sure his conscience is clear, but I suspect so is his schedule now; unless he pre-lined up a new job that doesn't see this as a reason to retract their offer.

      In these times... I'll guess that she's about to find out when her government-sponsored flight to El Salvador leaves...

    • Re: (Score:2, Troll)

      by DesScorp ( 410532 )

      I'm sure his conscience is clear, but I suspect so is his schedule now

      If she knew what the AI was being sold for, why was she working there in the first place?. There's more than a little bit of dishonesty in her approach. It's like going to work for Lockheed and then being shocked, shocked that they sell things that kill people and break things.

      So if she did this as a kind of do-it-yourself PR stunt, she can pretty much kiss any employment at western firms goodbye.

  • Yep. (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward

    I can guarantee Ibtihal didn't produce a single fucking word out of her stupid mouth any of the times hamas murdered innocent children.

    • Re:Yep. (Score:4, Insightful)

      by ArchieBunker ( 132337 ) on Friday April 04, 2025 @03:02PM (#65281967)

      What if I told you it's possible both parties are equally wrong? The small government conservative types won't say a goddamn word about the billions in taxes Israel gets to blow up poor brown people. Let Israel pay for their own munitions.

      • both parties are equally wrong

        Can we just sticky this on everything and be done with it?

        Please?

      • by Tailhook ( 98486 )

        What if I told you it's possible both parties are equally wrong?

        I'd tell you your definition of both "equally" and "wrong" are highly selective and likely formed from your extreme naivety and chronic malcontent.

      • by Rujiel ( 1632063 )

        People who loudly defend Israel no matter what always have a moral cowardice and insincerity to them, but you've done them better by not even even having the courage to admit you're defending Israel.

        "Sometimes you gotta take out the trash."
        Yeah, Bibi calls it "moving the lawn" and you defend it just the same. Seriously, fuck you

    • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

      If Israel can deliberately target [aljazeera.com] and kill [aljazeera.com] civilians [cnn.com], or uses them as human [middleeasteye.net] shields [haaretz.com], or tortures [independent.co.uk] doctors [middleeasteye.net], what is your issue with Hamas doing the same?
  • by ClickOnThis ( 137803 ) on Friday April 04, 2025 @02:57PM (#65281947) Journal

    From TFS, it's not at all clear why Ibtihal Aboussad did this. TFA quotes (apparently in its entirety) a long e-mail she distributed that clarifies things. TL/DR:

    - she is objecting to Microsoft's supply of AI to aid Israel in its war against Hamas
    - she describes the unbalanced situation in that conflict
    - she points out that Microsoft has been less inclined to associate with conflicts in the past

    Her e-mail is quite heated and biased, but it seems to be a clear presentation of her side of the issue. Now the discussion begins...

    • she describes the unbalanced situation in that conflict

      I hate to break this to you, but wars are not about "balance".

      Hamas started the war, and they are losing it badly. It's not up the victor - the innocent party, repelling the invaders and destroying their ability to invade - to hamstring themselves to make it somehow "balanced".

    • Now the discussion begins...

      There will be no discussion. There will be a dismissal. Now whether you agree or disagree with her, the reality is in a workplace you're paid to do a specific thing in a mutually agreed relationship. Break the bounds of that relationship and the agreement is over.

      I hope she already had a job lined up before she committed corporate suicide.

  • She's got a point (Score:5, Insightful)

    by thatsfacts ( 10482818 ) on Friday April 04, 2025 @02:57PM (#65281949)
    People are comment about what "he" did, which demonstrates they didn't even read the article or watch the video before commenting - it was clearly a woman. The mass email she sent outlines very clearly why she did this, and it's really hard to refute anything she said. The AI work the engineers are doing are being used to transcribe & analyze communications which is being used to pick targets for what the international court has deemed genocide. Slashdot is a community of many engineers, so I'd imagine most can understand how this isn't a leap. If I was an engineer at a company building audio transcription systems, then found out that code was used to target a family and got a child killed, I'd be pretty damn furious too. That's just one example, they're using Microsoft's AI in a far broader sense to tech enable genocide. I'm really surprised more people aren't agreeing with her, but than again, it's obvious most people didn't even read the article. This isn't a case "woke virus person gone crazy", this is a legitimate stance.
    • by farble1670 ( 803356 ) on Friday April 04, 2025 @03:04PM (#65281981)

      used to target a family

      Yeah that's where you lost us. Do you really think Israel is spending billion on AI to target some dirt farming civilian?

      The problem is that civilian, having voted for and supported Hamas for 15 years, has volunteered their home as a weapons cache. I guess the other side should just throw up their and hands and run into the ocean then? Sheesh.

      • used to target a family

        Yeah that's where you lost us. Do you really think Israel is spending billion on AI to target some dirt farming civilian?

        Fair point. Presumably the goal of the targeting software is to improve the ability to identify targets that are NOT families, but are actually terrorists?

      • by r1348 ( 2567295 ) on Friday April 04, 2025 @03:46PM (#65282127)

        You have no idea on who that family voted for in the past 15 years, but I have a pretty good idea on who wants to grab their little patch of dirt.

        • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

          by farble1670 ( 803356 )

          You have no idea on who that family voted for in the past 15 years

          I know Palestinians elected a terrorist organization as their government. I know they let Hamas build military installations in their schools and homes. I know they let them build tunnels under their schools and hospitals. I know they assisted them smuggling weapons into Gaza, which aided in the 7 Oct massacre.
          I know the Palestinian war cry "too the river..." means kill everything living in Israel. Nobody disputes any of this. Gazans, or anyone else.

          • by r1348 ( 2567295 )

            Did you all vote for Trump in the US, and agree with every single policy he pushes?

            • Did you all vote for Trump in the US, and agree with every single policy he pushes?

              I've never voted for Trump. Try not to let that blow your mind.

              That's one diff between the left and right these days. If you sway from the narrative, the left calls you an -ism or -phobe and sends you packing. The left is a snake that eats its tail. That's all good until nobody remains that'll vote for you.

      • by Muros ( 1167213 )

        The problem is that civilian, having voted for and supported Hamas for 15 years, has volunteered their home as a weapons cache.

        I would argue with you about your assumptions, but you are an American, so given your support of genocide I would be wasting my breath.

        • I would argue with you about your assumptions, but you are an American, so given your support of genocide I would be wasting my breath.

          Smart! Otherwise, you'd have to actually provide some coherent thoughts. One of us is making factual statements, the other is barfing up personal insults. I'm quite comfortable with my position here.

          • by Muros ( 1167213 )

            Smart! Otherwise, you'd have to actually provide some coherent thoughts

            I would love to, but I can't think clearly with that whooshing sound.

      • by Bahbus ( 1180627 ) on Friday April 04, 2025 @04:08PM (#65282173) Homepage

        Ultimately it doesn't matter what Israel is spending its money on. It's all terrorism all the way down. The IDF and Hamas are two sides of the exact same fucking coin.

        • The IDF and Hamas are two sides of the exact same fucking coin.

          Maybe.

          One side kills gays, forces their women to be subservient. The other side is a democratic society with equal rights and even has a 20% Muslim population and Muslim representation in their government.

          I made my choice. Feel free to sit on the fence until they shoot you off of it.

          • by Bahbus ( 1180627 )

            There is no maybe. They are. You can try to abstract it anyway you like. This side does x, that side does y. It doesn't fucking matter. Both sides are disgusting. Both sides murder innocent civilians and children. Both sides have shitty reasons for what they are doing (and neither side can rightfully argue self-defense at this point).

            There is no choice that needs to be made. Neither side is in the right. Nor do you need to sit on the fence and watch. Stop giving any of them the attention they are trying to

            • Otherwise, this is like a kid (Israel) who was getting bullied (by Hamas). At first, we're supportive, defend yourself, hell yeah. But then, the kid goes on the offensive and kicks the shit out of the bully and sends him to the hospital.

              I fully support that action. If you're happy not to be speaking either German or Japanese, you should also. Jesus, that's the story of WWII.

              Hamas is like a bully you beat down one day, then goes and works out and takes steroids for a year and comes back and tries to kick your ass again. And loses, over, and over.

              • by Bahbus ( 1180627 )

                Jesus, that's the story of WWII.

                Holy fuck, no it's not. The metaphor doesn't even start the same way.

                Hamas is like a bully you beat down one day, then goes and works out and takes steroids for a year and comes back and tries to kick your ass again. And loses, over, and over.

                The problem with this point of view is that it implies Israel is "winning". But what are they winning? Kill count? Which is meaningless. They certainly aren't winning peace and security, because Israel's actions and reactions directly fuels Hamas recruitment. Literally, Hamas does not even have to try to recruit by force. They aren't winning land, because they actively don't want it. The reality is that Hamas "wins" every time it attacks,

                • Holy fuck, no it's not. The metaphor doesn't even start the same way.

                  Oh well, WHATEVER you do, definitely don't explain yourself.

                  The allies were outclasses and outgunned, on both fronts at the start of the war. Japan and Germany were the bullies. Germany owned all of Europe, except GB. Japan owned the east, and almost beat the US with the victory at Pearl Harbor. The allies kicked the shit out the bully by moving to a war economy and out producing them. And when the bully had the shit kicked out of them, the allies didn't stop. They ground them to a pulp. The allies didn't

                  • by Bahbus ( 1180627 )

                    They still aren't comparable.

                    I think if your enemy is dead, they stop being a threat.

                    Not if you create more enemies for every one you eliminate. Israel will never know peace because they don't know what that is, nor do they actually want peace.

                    Their children are raised to hate the west and told that being a martyr is the highest honor.

                    This is not the same as recruitment.

                    They are a lost people.

                    No more lost than the Israelis.

                  • by tragedy ( 27079 )

                    The allies were outclasses and outgunned, on both fronts at the start of the war. Japan and Germany were the bullies. Germany owned all of Europe, except GB. Japan owned the east, and almost beat the US with the victory at Pearl Harbor. The allies kicked the shit out the bully by moving to a war economy and out producing them.

                    Just a note here, it seems a lot like your WWII history starts with US military involvement.

                    • Just a note here, it seems a lot like your WWII history starts with US military involvement.

                      I guess this implies the US was involved?

                      Germany owned all of Europe, except GB.

                      If you read into that the US being involved, that's your history, not mine.

                    • by tragedy ( 27079 )

                      Germany owned all of Europe, except GB.

                      If you read into that the US being involved, that's your history, not mine.

                      I honestly don't know what you're trying to say here. What I am saying is that you start with:

                      The allies were outclasses and outgunned, on both fronts at the start of the war.

                      and continue on to that "Germany owned all of Europe..." statement in the same context of "the start of the war", but Germany obviously did not "own" all of Europe at the start of the war. Also, the Allies (or future members of the Allies, since they did not officially exist as an alliance until over three years into the war) were not outclassed or outgunned at the start of the war. Hindsight has shown that the Fre

        • Ultimately it doesn't matter what Israel is spending its money on. It's all terrorism all the way down. The IDF and Hamas are two sides of the exact same fucking coin.

          The IDF commits at least 10 times the number of atrocities that Hamas commits.

      • by Misagon ( 1135 )

        Although Hamas did win the Palestinian election in 2006, it did seize Gaza by force in 2007 and has held control over the populace by force since then. So, no, nobody has voted for Hamas in the last fifteen years.

        The voting age was 21, so the youngest voter back in 2006 must have been 38. The age demographic of Gaza is quite young. Half the population is under 18, and life expectancy was relatively short even before the conflict. Only about one fifth of the current population alive was of voting age then an

        • Although Hamas did win the Palestinian election in 2006, it did seize Gaza by force in 2007 and has held control over the populace by force since then. So, no, nobody has voted for Hamas in the last fifteen years.

          I'm still waiting for the Palestinian uprising against Hamas. You'd think now would be a perfect time. Or you'd hear them on the news speaking out against Hamas. Or you'd here Palestinians that are safe in western democracies (oh the irony) speaking out against Hamas. The only Palestinian I've ever hear from is saying "from the river...".

          The crickets are deafening.

      • The problem is that civilian, having voted for and supported Hamas for 15 years, has volunteered their home as a weapons cache.

        Netanyahu has supported Hamas for a long time [timesofisrael.com], and you support him operating a genocide.

      • The problem is that civilian, having voted for and supported Hamas for 15 years, has volunteered their home as a weapons cache. I guess the other side should just throw up their and hands and run into the ocean then? Sheesh.

        Saying that everything targeted is a valid military target is the lie that Israel is pushing. They are using AI to select targets but not vetting them properly, and killing dozens or hundreds on the suspicion that they are somehow affiliated with Hamas, or may be, or something that causes maximum damage: https://www.972mag.com/israel-... [972mag.com].

        When you don't care who you target, and you just want to mass murder Palestinian civilians, AI is a brilliant way to saying "the machine determined they are Hamas" without

    • by HiThere ( 15173 )

      Well, when both sides are evil, it's not moral to support either side. So I expect that she's right, but...that doesn't make the opponents of the side she's castigating other than evil.

    • People are comment about what "he" did, which demonstrates they didn't even read the article or watch the video before commenting

      ... a demonstration which has zero impact on the opinions of posters. This woman disrupted a company event to engage in personal activism. What more does anyone need to know? I don't care about her feelings or hearing about her perception of what her company's product may be used for. I bet Israel uses Windows' computers too!

    • Palestinians WANT their children to become martyres!

      See this interview https://www.memri.org/tv/jorda... [memri.org]

      Also see this question

      https://politics.stackexchange... [stackexchange.com]

  • Quit (Score:5, Insightful)

    by farble1670 ( 803356 ) on Friday April 04, 2025 @02:58PM (#65281957)

    The strongest thing she can do to support their cause is quit. How can she accept a compensation from a war profiteer? That makes her just as guilty.

    One thing she learned from America: virtue signalling is easier than actually doing anything.

    • by rsilvergun ( 571051 ) on Friday April 04, 2025 @03:02PM (#65281973)
      It's an old left-wing phrase. Basically it means don't sweat living your life in an unjust system. Yes you should be trying to make the system better but you're a human being and you still have to eat.

      Purity tests get you nowhere. One of the things that makes the right wing so strong is they have zero purity tests beyond loyalty to the person one step above you in the hierarchy and absolute obedience from anyone beneath you in the hierarchy. It's terrible from a civilization and truth standpoint but when it comes to raw power it's hard to compete with that
      • Yes you should be trying to make the system better

        Apparently, by doing nothing that inconveniences yourself in any way. People in ivory towers should stay there.

        We're not talking about not eating, please. This is a rich, privileged, tech employed engineer living the good life thanks to the system that western morals built. Would quitting, and working for a company that doesn't "war profiteer", or even a non-profit that supports your cause, prevent her from eating? Maybe she'd have to drive a Lexus instead of a Mercedes? Likely it'd have ZERO impact on her

        • Yes you should be trying to make the system better

          Apparently, by doing nothing that inconveniences yourself in any way. People in ivory towers should stay there.

          We're not talking about not eating, please. This is a rich, privileged, tech employed engineer living the good life thanks to the system that western morals built. Would quitting, and working for a company that doesn't "war profiteer", or even a non-profit that supports your cause, prevent her from eating? Maybe she'd have to drive a Lexus instead of a Mercedes? Likely it'd have ZERO impact on her bottom line. But even that's too much.

          This is a Harvard Graduate who immigrated from Morocco. She's privileged and young. I grew up too poor to have any patience for her bullshit. Unlike Morocco, we have free speech here. This shit would get her arrested back home. The USA gave her an opportunity to prosper and improve her life...and she's bitching about her employer's choice to help a country defend itself in a literal life or death situation. Look...it's her right...she won't get arrested because we have free speech, but I hope she gets

      • You have a rather distorted and selective view of "the right."

        From where I sit, the right is populated by libertarians who hate being told what to do and it's the left that enforces strict conformity.

        I'm sure there are some honest-to-God monarchists on the right and free-love let-it-all-hang-out types on the left but they don't set the tone for the average adherant.

  • by jfdavis668 ( 1414919 ) on Friday April 04, 2025 @03:14PM (#65282021)
    This made a lot of people angry and has widely been considered as a bad move.
  • Outlook not so good?

  • by Somervillain ( 4719341 ) on Friday April 04, 2025 @04:34PM (#65282227)
    Either work from within to fix the issue or do it on your own time. Public stunts only make you feel good about yourself. MS is not going to suddenly change their ways. Don't take someone's money and tell them they're evil and genocidal in an unproductive way. People like her anger me. Do I agree with her cause?...maybe...did she move the needle and make me aware? No...all we're thinking about is her public demonstration. It's not helpful.

    I fucking hate entitled social justice warriors who think they can spit in the face of a company while collecting a paycheck from them. I wish I had the level of "FUCK YOU MONEY" this entitled piece of shit has. Sorry, I have a family to feed. I don't have time for such bullshit.

    Is MS a genocidal evil company?...maybe?...maybe not...stupid narcissistic stunts like this have not changed my mind. I just am irritated that I am busting my ass to provide for my family and pieces of shit like this have the money to waste it in such a stupid manner.
    • id she move the needle and make me aware? No...all we're thinking about is her public demonstration. It's not helpful.

      How can you not be aware when you admit it made you angry enough to post?

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