‘Shame on you’: What drove Indian-origin techie to protest at Microsoft event with Nadella, Gates, Ballmer on stage — and resign

Microsoft’s fiftieth anniversary event, held at its Redmond, Washington headquarters, was disrupted by protests from two workers who criticised the corporate’s involvement in Israeli army operations. The protests, which happened final week, have been led by Ibtihal Aboussad and Indian-origin Vaniya Agrawal, each accusing Microsoft of offering AI applied sciences to Israel.

Throughout a presentation by Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI, Ibtihal Aboussad interrupted, declaring, “Mustafa, disgrace on you,” as she approached the stage. Aboussad additional accused Suleyman of being a “struggle profiteer” for Microsoft’s position in enabling army actions via its applied sciences. Suleyman acknowledged the protest with, “Thanks to your protest, I hear you,” earlier than Aboussad was escorted out. 

In a separate incident, Agrawal confronted present and former Microsoft CEOs, together with Satya Nadella, Steve Ballmer, and Invoice Gates. Agrawal said, “50,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been murdered with Microsoft know-how. How dare you. Disgrace on all of you for celebrating on their blood.” She referred to as on Microsoft to sever its ties with Israel amidst ongoing battle in Gaza. 

Agrawal introduced her resignation in a company-wide electronic mail, stating her lack of ability to stay with an organization whose work “enabled genocide by Israel.” Her resignation was spurred by an Related Press investigation revealing a $133 million contract between Microsoft and Israel’s Ministry of Protection, with Microsoft Azure and AI instruments allegedly used for army surveillance. 

Microsoft has not formally commented on the accusations or the resignations of Aboussad and Agrawal. The corporate expressed that it helps worker expression, supplied it doesn’t disrupt enterprise operations. Nonetheless, each workers reportedly misplaced entry to their work accounts following the protests, suggesting potential employment repercussions. 

The demonstrations underscore rising tensions inside tech corporations concerning moral tasks and worldwide conflicts. Microsoft, whereas showcasing developments in AI and know-how through the event, confronted a major narrative shift due to these protests. 

Regardless of these disruptions, the event continued with a panel dialogue that includes Nadella, Ballmer, and Gates, who resumed with out addressing the protest. The incident has sparked broader discussions about company accountability in army engagements and the moral implications of know-how use.