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Microsoft Employees Protest AI Role in Gaza Conflict at 50th Anniversary Event

Vaniya Agrawal and Ibtihal Aboussad accuse Microsoft of enabling violence through its $133 million AI contract with Israel's Ministry of Defense, sparking widespread attention online.

Microsoft engineer Vaniya Agrawal was escorted out after disrupting a company event
Vaniya Agrawal, a software engineer II at Microsoft, had confronted her bosses over the alleged 'genocide' by Israel.
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Overview

  • During Microsoft's 50th anniversary event on March 4, employees Vaniya Agrawal and Ibtihal Aboussad publicly protested the company's AI contracts with Israel, alleging complicity in violence in Gaza.
  • Agrawal confronted Microsoft leaders, including Bill Gates and Satya Nadella, accusing the company of enabling genocide and violating its own human rights commitments.
  • Following the protest, Agrawal announced her resignation, effective April 11, and circulated a company-wide email urging colleagues to hold Microsoft accountable.
  • Footage of the protests, including Agrawal's confrontation and Aboussad's accusations of war profiteering, has been widely shared online, fueling public discourse on corporate ethics in conflict zones.
  • Despite growing scrutiny, Microsoft has not issued any public response to the accusations or the resignations of the protesting employees.