Microsoft’s 50th anniversary celebrations in Washington on March 4 were disrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters, including two employees who resigned since then, citing the alleged involvement of the technology giant in Israeli military operations.
Among them was Vani Agraval, Microsoft’s AI Division Software engineer, who took the scene in a dramatic act of disagreement. Accusing the company of providing violence in Gaza, she publicly resigned during the event, marking Microsoft “Digital Weapons Manufacturer” before being accompanied by the gym.
Agraval has condemned Microsoft’s alleged $ 133m -US deal with the Israeli defense ministry, claiming that AI of the company and the azour cloud services were actively supporting military operations against the Palestinians.
“Microsoft Cloud and AI allow the Israeli military to be more deadly and destructive in Gaza,” she wrote in an email throughout the company, immediately after confronting the CEO of the stage. “It is undeniable that Microsoft’s Azure Cloud offers and AI development form the technological spine of the automatic systems of apartheid and genocide in Israel.”
She further cited reports linking Microsoft Technologies with the surveillance and warfare infrastructure in Israel, adding: “Our workforce authorizes this genocide.”
Agraval, who joined Microsoft in September 2023, after more than three years in Amazon, worked in his division of artificial intelligence. Her protest marked the latest flash in the growing wave of employee disagreement. In February, five staff members were removed from a meeting with CEO Satia Nadela after being disrupted for similar problems.
Microsoft has yet to respond publicly either to the accusations or the resignation of Agraval. The celebration of the anniversary, which was focused on the company’s progress in AI and productivity, saw its narrative sharply replaced by the protest. After Agraval’s removal, Bill Gates continued the program without addressing the incident.
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