Hello all,
As you might need simply seen on the livestream or witnessed in individual, I disrupted the speech of Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman in the course of the highly-anticipated fiftieth anniversary celebration. Right here’s why.
My identify is Ibtihal, and for the previous 3.5 years, I’ve been a software program engineer on Microsoft’s AI Platform org. I spoke up in the present day as a result of after studying that my org was powering the genocide of my folks in Palestine, I noticed no different ethical selection. That is very true once I’ve witnessed how Microsoft has tried to quell and suppress any dissent from my coworkers who tried to lift this concern. For the previous 12 months and a half, our Arab, Palestinian, and Muslim group at Microsoft has been silenced, intimidated, harassed, and doxxed, with impunity from Microsoft. Makes an attempt at talking up at finest fell on deaf ears, and at worst, led to the firing of two staff for merely holding a vigil. There was merely no different strategy to make our voices heard.
We’re witnessing a genocide
For the previous 1.5 years, I’ve witnessed the continuing genocide of the Palestinian folks by Israel. I’ve seen unspeakable struggling amidst Israel’s mass human rights violations – indiscriminate carpet bombings, the concentrating on of hospitals and faculties, and the continuation of an apartheid state – all of which have been condemned globally by the UN, ICC, and ICJ, and quite a few human rights organizations. The pictures of harmless youngsters lined in ash and blood, the wails of mourning dad and mom, and the destruction of total households and communities have endlessly fractured me.
On the time of writing, Israel has resumed its full-scale genocide in Gaza, which has to this point killed by some estimates over 300,000 Gazans up to now 1.5 12 months alone. Simply days in the past, it was revealed that Israel killed fifteen paramedics and rescue staff in Gaza, executing them “one after the other,” earlier than burying them within the sand — yet one more horrific conflict crime. All of the whereas, our “accountable” AI work powers this surveillance and homicide. The United Nations and the Worldwide Courtroom of Justice have concluded that it is a genocide, with the Worldwide Legal Courtroom issuing arrest warrants for Israeli leaders.
We’re Complicit
Once I moved to AI Platform, I used to be excited to contribute to cutting-edge AI know-how and its functions for the great of humanity: accessibility merchandise, translation companies, and instruments to “empower each human and group to attain extra.” I used to be not knowledgeable that Microsoft would promote my work to the Israeli navy and authorities, with the aim of spying on and murdering journalists, docs, support staff, and whole civilian households. If I knew my work on transcription eventualities would assist spy on and transcribe telephone calls to higher goal Palestinians (supply), I’d not have joined this group and contributed to genocide. I didn’t signal as much as write code that violates human rights.
In response to AP information, there’s “a $133 million contract between Microsoft and Israel’s Ministry of Protection.”
“The Israeli navy’s utilization of Microsoft and OpenAI synthetic intelligence spiked final March to just about 200 instances larger than earlier than the week main as much as the Oct. 7 assault. The quantity of information it saved on Microsoft servers doubled between that point and July 2024 to greater than 13.6 petabytes.”
“The Israeli navy makes use of Microsoft Azure to compile data gathered via mass surveillance, which it transcribes and interprets, together with telephone calls, texts and audio messages, in response to an Israeli intelligence officer who works with the methods. That knowledge can then be cross-checked with Israel’s in-house concentrating on methods.”
Microsoft AI additionally powers essentially the most “delicate and extremely categorised initiatives” for the Israeli navy, together with its “goal financial institution” and the Palestinian inhabitants registry. Microsoft cloud and AI enabled the Israeli navy to be extra deadly and harmful in Gaza than they in any other case may.
Microsoft has additionally been offering software program, cloud companies, and consulting companies to the Israeli navy and authorities, totaling thousands and thousands in revenue. Battle Legal Benjamin Netanyahu has explicitly talked about his sturdy ties to Microsoft. A listing of those contracts with the Israeli navy and authorities might be discovered right here: An Introduction to Microsoft’s Complicity in Apartheid and Genocide
The truth is, Microsoft is so deeply linked to the Israeli navy that it was simply yesterday designated one of many precedence boycott targets of the BDS (Boycott, Divest, Sanctions) marketing campaign.
No matter your political stances, is that this the legacy we wish to go away behind? Is engaged on lethal AI weapons one thing you’ll be able to inform your youngsters about? Can we wish to be on the unsuitable aspect of historical past?
Regardless that your work may very well be unrelated to the cloud that the navy makes use of, your work advantages the corporate and permits it to tackle the contract. No matter your crew, you serve an organization that’s arming the Israeli occupation. It’s plain that a part of your compensation, irrespective of how small, is being paid by genocide.
Whether or not you’re employed on AI or not, you may be complicit if you happen to do nothing. It’s now OUR job to take a vocal stand in opposition to Microsoft AI’s involvement in crimes in opposition to humanity.
That is why I made a decision to talk up in the present day, and why I signed this essential petition to demand Microsoft reduce ties with genocide. And I urge you all to do the identical.
Name to Motion
Silence is complicity. However motion at all times has a response, irrespective of how huge or small. As staff for this firm, we should make our voices heard, and demand that Microsoft does the precise factor: cease promoting know-how to the Israeli navy.
If you’re additionally involved about this information, and also you additionally need your work for use ethically, I urge you to take motion:
Signal the No Azure for Apartheid petition: We is not going to write code that kills. And be a part of the marketing campaign so as to add your voice to the rising variety of involved Microsoft staff.
Be part of me in displaying our discontent on this thread. Should you additionally really feel tricked into deploying weapons which goal youngsters and civilians, urge management (CC’ed) to drop these contracts.
Don’t cease talking up. Urge SLT to drop these contracts at each alternative.
Begin conversations together with your co-workers concerning the factors above – so many staff could not know!
Microsoft’s human rights assertion prohibits retaliation in opposition to anybody who raises a human rights-related concern: Human rights assertion | Microsoft CSR
Our firm has precedents in supporting human rights, together with divestment from apartheid South Africa and dropping contracts with AnyVision (Israeli facial recognition startup), after Microsoft worker and group protests. My hope is that our collective voices will encourage our AI leaders to do the identical, and proper Microsoft’s actions relating to these human rights violations, to keep away from a stained legacy. Microsoft Cloud and AI ought to cease being the bombs and bullets of the twenty first century.
Sincerely,
A involved Microsoft worker
