Pro-Palestinian protester interrupts Microsoft AI CEO during live event
A pro-Palestinian protester interrupted a presentation by Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman on Friday, accusing the tech company of selling artificial intelligence technology to Israeli military forces.
In a video of the presentation, the protester can be heard 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 to the protester saying, “Thank you, I hear your protest.” The protester responded to Suleyman, saying, “You do not hear us.” A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed in a statement to NBC News that the protester was removed after the incident.
“We provide many avenues for all voices to be heard,” the spokesperson wrote. “Importantly, we ask that this be done in a way that does not cause a business disruption. If that happens, we ask participants to relocate. We are committed to ensuring our business practices uphold the highest standards.”
The interruption came in the middle of Microsoft’s 50th Anniversary Copilot Event at its headquarters in Redmond, Washington. During the presentation, Suleyman was introducing new capabilities of the company’s AI service, Copilot. A video livestreaming the event on YouTube was made private after videos of the protester began circulating online.
The pro-Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement has condemned Microsoft in the past, accusing it of 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.”
Israel, which was established in the wake of the Nazi Holocaust and is home to many survivors and their families, has vigorously denied allegations of genocide.
In February, citing Microsoft documents and Israeli officials, The Associated Press reported that Israel’s military increasingly relied on Microsoft technology after the attack by Hamas militants on Oct. 7, 2023, using Microsoft’s Azure to compile surveillance information. Microsoft has previously declined to comment on allegations that the company has provided Israel with AI technology in the past and did not answer questions from NBC News about the claims.
Israel Defense Forces did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
