A Microsoft employee disrupted the company’s 50th anniversary event to protest its use of AI.
“Shame on you,” said Microsoft employee Ibtihal Aboussad, speaking directly to Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman. “You are a war profiteer. Stop using AI for genocide. Stop using AI for genocide in our region. You have blood on your hands. All of Microsoft has blood on its hands. How dare you all celebrate when Microsoft is killing children. Shame on you all.”
Sources at Microsoft tell The Verge that shortly after Aboussad was ushered out of Microsoft’s event, she sent an email to a number of email distribution lists that contain hundreds or thousands of Microsoft employees. Here is Aboussad’s email in full:
TL;DR: she works on the speech to text AI product on Azure, which is used by Israel for some of their operations.
Look, I understand her desire to stop fighting in Palestine, but by that logic, we should also be protesting every software and computer manufacturer.
Focus on the worst offenders and create pressure to stop them from being complicit in such crimes.
See https://bdsmovement.net/bds-guidelines/bds-guide-strategic-campaigning-palestinian-rights for the way to do targeted boycotts and their impact.
By that logic, if it’s not practical to protest every single injustice in the world, we just shouldn’t bother.
I’d say genocide is a good place to start, wouldn’t you?
Yep
We should.
Protest the Linux Kernel cause they use it in North Korea and probably weapon systems around the world too?
North Korea isn’t bombing civilians population
nobody is profiting from that, so that’s not her point. Linux foundation isnt directly selling something used to detect a blow up kids
They are giving it away for free, which according to you is morally better than selling it? So if I make the AI, make it open source and somebody uses it to blow up kids I’m good. But if I sell it I’m evil?
I get your point. But Microsoft knows exactly who is using their cloud and why (id proof and industry), vs something for everyone to grab (LF doesnt require id proof and industry). Microsoft is knowingly serving child murderers and it knows their tech is used to do exactly that.
You cannot ban kitchen knives because there were a mass stab, but you enforce strict background check so you dont sell rifles to school shooters.
In other words, impossible to enforce linux ban without removing the open source aspect of it and affect good people like, but totally possible just not serve somebody commiting a genocide.
This is an important distinction, and one I wasn’t aware of, that Microsoft know exactly who, where and when the AI is being used, and what exactly it is being used for: the genocide of Palestinians. And who knows what other genocides will follow.
I mean they sell to tons of military folks I assume. I know people didn’t sign up for it but the difference between genocide and military operation is purely what side you’re on. Also where do we draw the line? Windows use? Or just ai because of the mass surveillance capabilities? I can’t see that genie going back in the bottle.
Nothing wrong with the protest and good on them for getting the word out because the scale is crazy but we saw this same shit 20 years ago and nobody has the appetite to politically challenge the status quo so far as the intelligence community etc. and scummy use of technology.
Genocide vs military op depends on side? I am on neither side, an observer from outside and I can see one fully armed side holocausting another side for the past 70 years and making sure nobody from anywhere in the world complain about it through lobbying.
The difference between rape and a good time is also purely what side you’re on.
Someone please tell me how Valve is killing children? They only got them addicted to loot boxes. Nobody has died. 🙄 /s
We don’t know what GabeN does on his yachts
She’s mostly asking her coworkers to speak up.