Microsoft asserts no discernible harm to individuals in Gaza has been caused by their Azure and AI systems.
Microsoft is facing growing criticism and protests from employees, shareholders, and advocacy groups over allegations that its technology is being used in operations causing harm to civilians in the Palestinian territories.
The controversy began last year when two employees were fired for organizing an "unauthorized" vigil in memory of Palestinians killed in Gaza. This incident was followed by a UN Human Rights Council report accusing Microsoft of profiting from its provision of technologies to the Israeli Ministry of Defence and military complex, which are implicated in operations causing harm to civilians in Gaza.
In response to the allegations, Microsoft conducted an internal review which found "no evidence" that its technology was directly used to harm Palestinians. However, the review acknowledged limitations in evaluating software and AI usage across diverse military applications. Criticism persists from current and former Microsoft employees and advocacy groups such as “No Azure for Apartheid,” who argue Microsoft’s AI and cloud services have been employed in targeting Palestinians.
This dissent has prompted a shareholder resolution demanding increased transparency and assessment of Microsoft's human rights due diligence concerning AI misuse, with about 60 shareholders representing over $80 million in shares supporting the resolution. The controversy has also led to employee protests at Microsoft events, notably interruptions during the company’s 50th anniversary celebrations by dissenting staff condemning Microsoft’s AI contracts with the Israeli military.
External advocacy movements such as the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement identify Microsoft as a key participant in sustaining Israel’s alleged illegal occupation and apartheid regime against Palestinians. BDS escalates pressure on Microsoft as a “priority target” for global boycott campaigns due to its perceived complicity in supporting military technologies that impact 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza.
Microsoft has defended its position, stating that the Israeli military is bound to its conditions of use, which require responsible AI practices and prohibit using its technologies to inflict harm. The company did not clarify which company it contracted for the external review or provide details about the process.
The situation has taken a serious turn with the Gaza Health Ministry reporting that deaths in the region now exceed 50,000. Independent human rights experts have stated that Israel has openly defied international law, inflicting maximum suffering on civilians in the occupied Palestinian territory and beyond. Ibtihal Aboussad, a software engineer on Microsoft’s AI Platform team, accused Microsoft of being a war profiteer and using AI for genocide in the region. Aboussad urged people to sign the No Azure for Apartheid petition and wrote, "We will not write code that kills."
The situation is far from over, with No Azure for Apartheid intending to protest at a Seattle conference next week. The Geneva Convention definition of genocide includes specific actions "committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group." As the controversy continues, Microsoft faces increasing pressure to provide clearer explanations and take more decisive action regarding its involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
References:
- UN Human Rights Council Report
- Shareholder Resolution
- Employee Protests
- BDS Movement Pressure on Microsoft
- The UN Human Rights Council report accuses Microsoft of profiting from providing technologies to the Israeli Ministry of Defence, which are implicated in operations causing harm to civilians in Gaza.
- Microsoft conducted an internal review and found no direct evidence that its technology was used to harm Palestinians, but criticism persists from employees and advocacy groups such as “No Azure for Apartheid.”
- The controversy has led to employee protests at Microsoft events, notably interruptions during the company’s 50th anniversary celebrations by dissenting staff condemning Microsoft’s AI contracts with the Israeli military.
- External advocacy movements like the BDS movement identify Microsoft as a key participant in sustaining Israel’s alleged illegal occupation and apartheid regime against Palestinians.
- Ibtihal Aboussad, a software engineer on Microsoft’s AI Platform team, accused Microsoft of being a war profiteer and using AI for genocide in the region, urging people to sign the No Azure for Apartheid petition and stating, "We will not write code that kills."
