Microsoft Fires Two Employees Over Protests at 50th Anniversary Event:

At Microsoft’s 50th anniversary celebration in Redmond, Washington, a major disruption occurred when employee Ibtihal Aboussad interrupted a speech by Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman. According to The Verge, Aboussad accused the company of using artificial intelligence to support military activities and labeled Microsoft a “war profiteer” in front of a live audience.

During the outburst, Aboussad shouted:

“Shame on you. 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.”

Aboussad, who was employed at Microsoft Canada, was terminated following the incident. Microsoft sent an internal email stating that his behavior was “aggressive” and involved “hostile, unprovoked, and highly inappropriate accusations.” The company also noted the absence of any apology or remorse from Aboussad post-incident.

Second Employee Also Dismissed Over Protest

In a separate event during the same celebration, another Microsoft employee, Vaniya Agrawal, disrupted a panel discussion that included CEO Satya Nadella, Bill Gates, and Steve Ballmer. Although Agrawal had already submitted her resignation on April 4, Microsoft chose to dismiss her during the notice period.

The incidents occurred during a high-profile event designed to mark Microsoft’s legacy and future direction, particularly in AI development. The company has faced growing internal and external scrutiny over its involvement in defense contracts and its broader AI strategy.