A pro-Palestinian protester disrupted a presentation by Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman during the company’s 50th Anniversary Copilot Event at its Redmond, Washington headquarters. The protester accused Microsoft of selling artificial intelligence technology to Israeli military forces, shouting, “You claim that you care about using AI for good, but Microsoft sells AI weapons to the Israeli military. Fifty-thousand people have died … all of Microsoft has blood on its hands. How do you all celebrate when Microsoft is killing children? Shame on you all.”
Suleyman responded calmly, saying, “Thank you, I hear your protest.” However, the protester countered, “You do not hear us.”
A Microsoft spokesperson later confirmed to NBC News that the protester was removed after the incident. The company stated that while they provide avenues for all voices to be heard, they require that this be done without causing business disruptions. The spokesperson emphasized Microsoft’s commitment to upholding the highest standards in their business practices.
The interruption occurred during Suleyman’s introduction of new capabilities of Microsoft’s AI service, Copilot. A video livestream of the event on YouTube was made private after clips of the protest began circulating online.
This incident is not the first time Microsoft has faced criticism regarding its technology and Israel. The pro-Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement has previously condemned Microsoft for allegedly providing “Israel with technology, including artificial intelligence, that is deployed to facilitate grave human rights violations, war crimes, crimes against humanity (including apartheid), as well as genocide.”
The Associated Press reported in February that Israel’s military has increasingly relied on Microsoft technology, particularly Azure, for surveillance information following the Hamas militant attack on October 7, 2023. Microsoft has previously declined to comment on allegations of providing AI technology to Israel, and did not respond to NBC News’ inquiries about the claims. The Israel Defense Forces also did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
