Latest news with #Abousaad
Ya Biladi
09-04-2025
- Business
- Ya Biladi
Moroccan engineer Ibtihal Abousaad urges Microsoft boycott in a new video
Ibtihal Abousaad, a Moroccan former Microsoft employee who disrupted the company's 50th anniversary celebration to accuse it of enabling Israel's war on Gaza, called on people Wednesday to boycott Microsoft products. In a video shared on social media, Abousaad—who was fired on Monday following her widely circulated protest—said she wants people to stop using Microsoft services and products. «Boycott all Microsoft products, whether it's Xbox, Copilot, or Candy Crush», she said. «The goal is to send a message to this company: we will not financially support you, and we will not use your products until you adopt humane principles», she added. The software engineer also urged others to take a stand. «If anyone watching this video finds themselves in a similar position—working for a company that also violates humane principles—I ask you to raise your voice», she said. A Harvard graduate and former employee of Microsoft AI, Abousaad made headlines last Friday when she interrupted a keynote by Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman, who was presenting the company's long-term vision for its AI assistant, Copilot. «You are a war profiteer. Stop using AI for genocide», Abousaad shouted at the event in Redmond, Washington, which was attended by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and former CEO Steve Ballmer. Footage of the protest quickly went viral online, with many praising her for what they described as a «brave» act. Her actions even drew praise from Hamas.
Ya Biladi
09-04-2025
- Business
- Ya Biladi
Microsoft fires Moroccan engineer Ibtihal Aboussad days after viral Gaza AI protest
Moroccan-born engineer Ibtihal Aboussad has been fired by Microsoft after publicly denouncing the role of the company's AI technology in Israel's war on Gaza. On April 4, she interrupted Microsoft's 50th-anniversary celebration to protest the firm's ties with Israel. The Associated Press confirmed her dismissal on Tuesday. According to the same source, Aboussad, based at Microsoft's Canadian headquarters in Toronto, was summoned to a video call on Monday with a human resources representative, who informed her she was being fired immediately. Earlier, CNBC reported on an internal email citing «intentional misconduct, disobedience, or willful neglect of duties» as grounds for the dismissal. The company accused her of making «hostile and unfounded accusations». Before her meeting with HR on Monday, Ibtihal had already revealed that she had lost access to her work account after the protest. Amid growing controversy over Microsoft's technological support for Israel in the Gaza Strip, the company issued a statement last Friday saying it offers «many opportunities for all voices to be heard». For her part, Ibtihal Aboussad told the Spanish news agency EFE that she fully understood the potential consequences of her actions and was not concerned by them. «They could come after me, but I think the fear of that retaliation does not counter the fear of working on technology that bombs innocents», she said. «My biggest fear is waking up for my nine-to-five and realizing that my code might kill children today». Abousaad's protest last week has gone viral as the video of her interruption was widely shared online. Abousaad was praised for her what people found «brave» actions, prompting even praise from Hamas.
