Protests At Microsoft's 50th Anniversary Presentation
As part of the 50th anniversary celebration by Microsoft, there was a protest by some employees against the provision of AI technology to the Israeli military by their company. This protest took place while Mustafa Suleiman, Microsoft AI CEO, was presenting Copilot AI assistant updates.
Bill Gates and Company Leadership Were Present During the Protest
As Suleiman was speaking, company co-founder Bill Gates, ex-CEO Steve Ballmer, and current CEO Satya Nadella sat in the audience. During the presentation, a worker disrupted the event by calling out the company's involvement in the conflict in Gaza.
A protester directly spoke to Suleiman, saying: "Mustafa, this is a shameful act. Microsoft is helping to carry out the genocide. Stop this." The protester walked onto the stage and hurled a Palestinian solidarity scarf at it before he was escorted out. Suleiman paused briefly from his speech, replied with "I hear you. Thank you," and continued.
Second Protest Follows Leadership Panel
Later, another protest was witnessed as Gates, Ballmer, and Nadella went on stage. Clips of the two protests have gone viral on social media websites.
Background: Gaza Conflict
Israel has attacked Gaza since October 2023 in retaliation for a Hamas operation. The conflict has resulted in humanitarian crises and about 50,000 reported fatalities in Gaza. A number of international voices have spoken out against the conflict and demanded a ceasefire.
Allegations of Using AI in War Zones
There are claims that Microsoft and OpenAI technologies were used by the Israeli army in their Gaza and Lebanon operations. These claims have sparked internal protests within Microsoft.
Bill Gates Remembers Microsoft's Milestone
In celebration of the 50th anniversary, Bill Gates posted a video online, saying: "Happy 50th birthday to Microsoft. There are embarrassing photoshoots in this company with many memories that have given me."
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