Protester Interrupts Microsoft Copilot Presentation and Accuses Company of Having "Blood on Its Hands".
A protester interrupted Microsoft's presentation focused on Copilot on Friday afternoon, pointing out the company's alleged ties to the Israeli military.
During a Copilot-focused event last Friday, a protester interrupted Microsoft's presentation to denounce the company’s alleged connections with the Israeli military. In the middle of their speech, the protester exclaimed, “Shame on you.” They criticized Microsoft’s claim about its commitment to the ethical use of artificial intelligence, stating that the company sells AI weapons to the Israeli military, implying that “all of Microsoft has blood on its hands.”
Mustafa Suleyman, Head of Consumer AI at Microsoft, whose segment was interrupted, repeatedly responded, “I hear your protest, thank you.” In February, it was reported that advanced AI models from Microsoft and OpenAI, with whom it collaborates closely, had been used in an Israeli military program to select bombing targets in the recent conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. It was mentioned that a mistaken bombing resulted in the deaths of several girls and their grandmother.
Protests against Microsoft's alleged complicity have begun to take shape, including demonstrations by its own employees. Later, during a panel discussion involving CEO Satya Nadella and former CEOs Steve Ballmer and Bill Gates, a second protester also interrupted. Reports suggest that both incidents were coordinated by the No Azure for Apartheid movement, which has existed among some Microsoft employees for some time.