During a special celebration marking Microsoft’s 50th anniversary, Ibtihal Abu Al-Saad, a Moroccan engineer and member of the company’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform team, took a bold stand against the company’s involvement in the use of artificial intelligence for military purposes.
Abu Al-Saad specifically criticized her colleague, Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of AI at Microsoft, for his role in a controversial partnership with the Israeli military.
Abu Al-Saad spoke out about Microsoft’s contribution to military operations in Gaza, raising concerns about the ethical implications of the company’s technology being used for surveillance and targeting during the ongoing conflict. She stated that over 50,000 lives had been lost in Gaza since October 7, and pointed to Microsoft’s part in facilitating the use of AI technologies by the Israeli defense forces.
“Mustafa, it’s troubling to see you claim that AI is being used for good, especially when your Syrian family knows the truth. Stop benefiting from conflict; the company’s involvement cannot be overlooked,” Abu Al-Saad declared. She went on to express her disbelief at Microsoft’s celebration amidst the humanitarian crisis, asking, “How can we celebrate when our technologies are part of ongoing suffering?”
Abu Al-Saad’s remarks reflect a growing concern about the ethical responsibility of tech companies in conflict zones, specifically regarding the application of AI in military operations. Her bold criticism underscores the wider debate about the role of technology in modern warfare and the responsibilities of corporations in such contexts.
Following her public comments, Ibtihal Abu Al-Saad shared an email with Microsoft employees, further explaining her position and the motivations behind her actions. In the email, she detailed her three and a half years of working at Microsoft as a software engineer, highlighting how she became aware of the company’s role in supporting military operations that she believes have resulted in significant harm to Palestinian civilians.
Abu Al-Saad recounted her personal distress over witnessing the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where she described the suffering of civilians as “unimaginable” amid widespread human rights violations. She also noted that, despite the increasing use of Microsoft’s technologies by the Israeli military, employees who raised concerns about these issues were often marginalized or silenced.
Her email also included an appeal to her colleagues, urging them to take action by signing a petition calling for an end to Microsoft’s involvement in the use of its technologies in military operations. She encouraged employees to begin conversations about the issue and to advocate for ethical practices within the company.
In her message, Abu Al-Saad emphasized that silence on such matters is tantamount to complicity. “Even small steps can make a difference,” she said, urging Microsoft staff to stand up for ethical use of technology.
This incident highlights the growing ethical debate surrounding the use of AI and surveillance technologies in military contexts, and the role of companies like Microsoft in shaping the future of warfare.
An earlier investigation by the Associated Press revealed that AI models from both Microsoft and OpenAI were being used in an Israeli military program to assist with targeting during operations in Gaza and Lebanon.
