Microsoft Terminates Employee Who Labeled AI Executive as 'War Profiteer'

Microsoft Terminates Employee After Disruption at 50th Anniversary Event

Microsoft has dismissed an employee, Ibtihal Aboussad, following a disruption at the company's 50th-anniversary celebration. According to an email obtained by The Verge, Microsoft cited "acts of misconduct" as the reason for Aboussad's termination.

During the event last Friday, Aboussad and another protester, Vaniya Agrawal, interrupted the proceedings. Aboussad confronted Microsoft's AI CEO, Mustafa Suleyman, labeling him a "war profiteer" and urging Microsoft to cease using AI for what she described as "genocide in our region." Agrawal later interrupted speeches by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, former CEO Steve Ballmer, and current CEO Satya Nadella. Both employees also emailed thousands of their colleagues, pressing Microsoft to sever ties with the Israeli government.

The email to Aboussad detailed the incident, stating, "Earlier today, you interrupted a speech by Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman during the Company’s 50th anniversary event in Redmond, Seattle, by yelling and finger-pointing at the CEO before a live audience of thousands of attendees, and making hostile, unprovoked, and highly inappropriate accusations against the CEO, the Company and Microsoft generally." It further noted that despite Suleyman's attempts to de-escalate the situation, Aboussad's aggressive behavior necessitated intervention by security, who escorted her out.

Aboussad was fired by Microsoft Canada on the same day, while Agrawal, who had submitted her two weeks' notice prior to the protest, was dismissed shortly afterward. Both individuals are part of No Azure for Apartheid, a group of Microsoft employees protesting the company's contracts with Israel.

The termination email to Aboussad also expressed concern over her lack of remorse, stating, "The company has concluded that your misconduct was designed to gain notoriety and cause maximum disruption to this highly anticipated event. It is also concerning that you have not apologized to the company, and in fact you have shown no remorse for the effect that your actions have had and will have."

Microsoft did not respond to requests for comment on the dismissals by the time of publication.

Correction, April 7th: A previous version of the article incorrectly stated that Agrawal was dismissed immediately after submitting her resignation. Agrawal had submitted her resignation before the protests and was then dismissed early.