Latest news with #Aboussad
Morocco World
02-08-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Moroccan AI Engineer Ibtihal Aboussad Urges Muslims to Lead AI Revolution
Rabat – Moroccan engineer and AI expert Ibtihal Aboussad has called on Muslim communities to stop sitting on the sidelines and start leading in the world of artificial intelligence (AI). Speaking last week at the Muslim Council of Britain, she said that Muslims have a duty to understand and shape new technologies, especially as AI becomes more powerful and more present in daily life. 'AI is everywhere, so we cannot sit this one out,' she said. 'When social media exploded in the early 2010s, most Muslims and Muslim institutions were not ready,' Aboussad added, explaining that social media platforms began shaping how Muslim youth think. She added that humans began using AI in dangerous ways, giving the example of the Israeli Occupation Forces' genocidal war against Palestinians. 'And in Palestine, we're witnessing the most disturbing use of tech in modern warfare,' she said. 'So what is our response? Are we building the tools that protect them? Are we training our youth and our communities to understand these models? Are we developing alternatives to serve justice instead of oppression? Or are we sitting back and hoping that someone else will handle the technical details?' she questioned. The Moroccan engineer warned that ignoring AI could allow others to build systems that go against Muslim values, and that every delay means losing more ground. It's still possible to do things differently in the AI revolution Aboussad told the audience that Muslims are entrusted with truth and justice, and that this responsibility also applies to science and technology. She recalled that the Prophet told Muslims to change wrong with their hands. She also stressed that it's not too late. 'The great news is we are still early enough in this shift to do things differently. And we cannot let anyone tell us that tech is tech and business is business. We cannot let anyone convince us that technical work is morally neutral,' Aboussad explained. The young engineer, who studied at Harvard University and worked at Microsoft, has become known for speaking out about the ethical dangers of AI. Earlier this year, she made headlines when she interrupted a presentation by Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman, accusing the company of being complicit in Israel's genocide against Palestinians. Tags: AIIbtihal AboussadMuslims
Morocco World
14-06-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
Moroccan Software Engineer Accuses UN of Whitewashing Genocide
Rabat – Moroccan software engineer and former Microsoft AI employee Ibtihal Aboussad is sounding the alarm about the United Nations' upcoming 'AI for Good' summit, scheduled for July 8–11. Aboussad accuses the UN of whitewashing tech companies' role in enabling Israel's AI-assisted genocide against Palestinians in Gaza by giving them a platform at the summit. 'These companies provide the cloud infrastructure and AI technologies that allow Israel to accelerate its genocide in Gaza and uphold its regime of apartheid against all Palestinians,' said Aboussad, naming Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Oracle, IBM, Cisco, and Palantir as examples of complicit corporations. She warned that unless these technologies are regulated, their weaponization poses a threat to all of humanity, denouncing the UN's collaboration with these firms as 'UNlawful, UNacceptable, and truly UNbelievable.' Backed by the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, No Azure for Apartheid, and millions across the globe, Aboussad is calling for global pressure on the UN and its member states to end partnerships with genocide-enabling tech companies wherever possible, and to formally designate and regulate AI and cloud computing as dual-use technologies subject to international regulation. Dual-use designation would mean recognizing that these tools—often marketed as neutral or humanitarian—can serve both civilian and military purposes, including surveillance, targeting, and warfare, just like nuclear materials or chemical agents. Such a classification would subject them to legal controls, export restrictions, and transparency requirements. 'I'm appalled that the United Nations, which is supposed to uphold international law, is now partnering with corporations that are openly violating it,' Aboussad added, urging summit speakers and supporters to either publicly endorse these demands or withdraw if the UN refuses to meet its legal and ethical responsibilities. This is not the first time Aboussad has made headlines for her outspoken support for Palestine. In April of this year, she was fired by Microsoft after publicly confronting company executives during a live presentation at their Redmond headquarters. Addressing Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman directly, Aboussad declared, 'Mustafa, shame on you. You claim to care about using AI for good, but Microsoft sells AI weapons to the Israeli military. Fifty thousand people have died, and Microsoft powers this genocide in our region.' Microsoft-enabled atrocities Aboussad, who directly witnessed Microsoft AI's provision of tools to the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) and Israeli government to surveil and target Palestinians, called on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to launch an investigation into corporate capture within the UN system and to sever ties with Microsoft's UN Affairs offices in Geneva and New York. 'Let's remind him that Microsoft knowingly provides Israel with customized technology, including AI, that enables its atrocious crimes against Palestinians,' she said. BDS has identified Microsoft as one of the most complicit companies in Israel's apartheid regime and ongoing genocide in Gaza, accusing it of knowingly supplying technologies that facilitate war crimes, crimes against humanity, and grave human rights violations. Microsoft's complicity extends to deep collaborations with the IOF, Israeli ministries, and the Israeli prison system, which is notorious for documented, systematic torture of Palestinian detainees. 'Microsoft has failed its corporate obligation to prevent genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. Its board of directors and executives may face criminal liability for this complicity,' BDS warned, citing the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) legally binding, provisional rulings. Aboussad concluded by reaffirming her belief that AI can be used for the good of humanity—if and only if it is properly regulated and governed by enforceable legal and ethical frameworks that prevent its weaponization. 'Let's regulate AI before it's too late. Palestinians and humanity cannot wait any longer,' she said. The AI for Good Global Summit brands itself as the UN's leading platform in showcasing how artificial intelligence can address pressing global challenges. First held in 2017, it is organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in collaboration with over 40 UN agencies and aims to promote AI applications aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—from healthcare and poverty reduction to climate action and gender equality. This year's program includes the grand finale of the Robotics for Good Youth Challenge, pitch sessions for women entrepreneurs from the Global South, and panels on AI in brain health, including Alzheimer's treatments—noble causes that risk being undermined by the summit's silence and whitewashing of AI's deployment in state violence and genocide.
Express Tribune
04-05-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Microsoft's Gaza dissenters and the price of integrity
Listen to article By now, the story has reverberated across the globe: two Microsoft engineers, Ibtihal Abou El Saad and Vaniya Agrawal, boldly confronted their employer over its role in supporting Israeli military operations in Gaza and Lebanon. Their protest — delivered face-to-face to Microsoft's top leadership during its 50th anniversary celebration — was not a mere interruption. It was a rare act of moral courage that shattered a carefully curated silence in the tech industry and exposed the cost of complicity. Both women were fired shortly after their protests. But their actions will likely echo far longer than any corporate event ever could. At different moments during the celebration, they each took a stand: Aboussad interrupted a keynote by Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman, demanding accountability as she declared, "How dare you celebrate when Microsoft is killing children." Agrawal later confronted Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, former CEO Steve Ballmer, and co-founder Bill Gates, publicly accusing the company of profiting from bloodshed in Gaza. Their outrage was backed by evidence. Earlier this year, the Associated Press revealed that Microsoft's AI tools were used by the Israeli military in Gaza — one of the first documented cases of US-made AI deployed in live warfare. The technology helped select bombing targets, drive mass surveillance and automate military decisions, raising serious concerns about civilian casualties and potential war crimes. Agrawal, in her company-wide resignation letter, asked, "Which 'people' are we empowering with our technology? The oppressors enforcing an apartheid regime? The war criminals committing a genocide?" She denounced Microsoft as a "digital weapons manufacturer" complicit in surveillance, apartheid and genocide. These are not rhetorical flourishes. They are claims rooted in documented collaborations, including a $133 million contract between Microsoft and Israel's Ministry of Defense, and internal documents showing Microsoft's cloud and AI services are used for Israeli military targeting and intelligence. When insiders expose the human cost of innovation, they force companies — and the public — to confront uncomfortable truths. This is especially important in Big Tech, where language about "empowerment" and "innovation" often masks the export of tools for surveillance and destruction. By challenging their own employer, Aboussad and Agrawal made it harder for Microsoft, or any other firm, to claim plausible deniability. And more crucially, they gave cover to others who may want to speak but fear reprisal. "Don't stop speaking up," Agrawal urged colleagues in her farewell message. The ripple effect is already visible. Their protest was livestreamed and widely shared, and they've become rallying figures for the No Azure for Apartheid campaign. Aboussad's subsequent video, calling for a global boycott of Microsoft products, has further amplified their message. One of the cruel truths of speaking out is that punishment is swift, while vindication is slow. Abou El Saad and Agrawal were dismissed under vague claims of "misconduct" and disruption. But being fired for principle isn't the end — it's often the beginning of a more purposeful path. Throughout history, whistleblowers and dissenters have faced isolation before recognition. Yet many have gone on to shape public discourse, influence policy and find roles that better reflect their values. If public support continues to grow — as it already is — these two may ultimately land in positions of even greater impact than the ones they left behind. Microsoft's response is a cautionary tale — not just for Big Tech, but for any institution that prioritises profit over principle. By firing two engineers for raising ethical concerns about the use of its AI in what many — including UN experts — describe as genocidal violence, the company sent a chilling message: dissent, even when rooted in human rights and international law, will be punished. Yet the attempt to silence them may have backfired. In trying to suppress their voices, Microsoft only amplified them. The protest — staged not anonymously, but in full view of Mustafa Suleyman, Bill Gates, Satya Nadella and Steve Ballmer — now echoes far beyond that stage. And with each retelling, Vaniya Agrawal and Ibtihal Abou El Saad are not remembered as disruptors, but as moral heroes. Their stand evokes a darker chapter in corporate history. During the Holocaust, companies like IBM played a documented role in enabling the Nazi regime — supplying punch card systems used for census-taking, surveillance, and even managing logistics for extermination. While many escaped accountability at the time, they did not escape history's judgment. Their names are now synonymous with corporate complicity, taught in classrooms and remembered in documentaries as cautionary tales. But today's companies won't have the luxury of historical amnesia. In an age of whistleblowers, livestreams and forensic journalism, complicity can no longer hide behind bureaucracy or branding. The new generation of workers and consumers is more informed, more connected, and far less forgiving. They will remember which side of history institutions chose when it mattered most. The question now facing Microsoft — and others entangled in military AI development — is not just legal, but moral. Who are you becoming as a company? What kind of future are you building - and at what cost? More employees are asking: Do I want to be writing code that kills? More consumers are asking: Is convenience worth complicity? The moral calculus is shifting. What was once buried in contracts and sanitised in corporate language is now exposed to the world. The era of tech exceptionalism — where innovation proceeded unchecked by ethics — is ending. Agrawal and Abou El Saad may have lost their jobs, but they preserved something far more enduring: their integrity. Speaking out despite the risks revealed not just their values, but their character. They reminded us that moral courage often begins in discomfort - and ends in legacy. In a time of institutional cowardice, they chose to protect their souls. They didn't just resign. They refused to code complicity. And that choice — their refusal to be silent — may be remembered as the moment the tide began to turn.
Leaders
13-04-2025
- Business
- Leaders
Microsoft Shares Fall After Accusations of Assisting Israeli Genocide with AI Models
Microsoft shares had fallen sharply after former Microsoft AI engineer Ibtihal Aboussad courageously interrupted the company's 50th anniversary celebration and accused Microsoft of supporting Genocide in Gaza. The Moroccan engineer has interrupted Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman's speech and accused the company of providing the Israeli military with artificial intelligence technologies during its war in Gaza, according to the Associated Press. 'Mustafa, shame on you.' 'You claim that you care about using AI for good, but Microsoft sells AI weapons to the Israeli military. Fifty-thousand people have died and Microsoft powers this genocide in our region,' Aboussad shouted and paused Suleyman's speech. Suleyman calmly attempted to de-escalate the situation and said, 'Thank you for your protest, I hear you.' However, Aboussad shouted and said that Suleyman and 'all of Microsoft' had blood on their hands. As a response, Microsoft has fired Aboussad and accused her of making 'hostile, unprovoked, and highly inappropriate accusations' against Suleyman. After the video went viral on social media, thousands of Arabs have harshly criticized Suleyman in his account on LinkedIn. Meanwhile, people on social media widely shared Aboussad's video and commended her courage and noble instance. Israel significantly depends on AI models from Microsoft and OpenAI to determine bombing targets during its wars in Gaza and Lebanon, according to an investigation by the Associated Press News Agency. Since the beginning of Hamas-Israel War in Gaza, the Israeli occupation has killed at least 50,695 Palestinians and wounded 115,338, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Related Topics: Israel Targets Gaza City's Last Functioning Hospital as Hamas Delegation Arrives in Cairo Saudi Arabia Urges Global Action to End Gaza Blockade Israeli Military Fires Reservists over Gaza War Criticism Short link : Post Views: 4
Leaders
13-04-2025
- Business
- Leaders
Pro-Palestinian Engineer Accuses Microsoft of Supporting Gaza's Genocide
Former Microsoft AI engineer Ibtihal Aboussad has courageously interrupted the company's 50th anniversary celebration and accused Microsoft of supporting Genocide in Gaza, according to the Associated Press. The Moroccan engineer has interrupted Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman's speech and accused the company of providing the Israeli military with artificial intelligence technologies during its war in Gaza. 'Mustafa, shame on you.' 'You claim that you care about using AI for good, but Microsoft sells AI weapons to the Israeli military. Fifty-thousand people have died and Microsoft powers this genocide in our region,' Aboussad shouted and paused Suleyman's speech. It is worth mentioning that co-founder Bill Gates and former CEO Steve Ballmer were among the attendees of the celebration. Suleyman calmly attempted to de-escalate the situation and said, 'Thank you for your protest, I hear you.' However, Aboussad shouted and said that Suleyman and 'all of Microsoft' had blood on their hands. As a response, Microsoft has fired Aboussad and accused her of making 'hostile, unprovoked, and highly inappropriate accusations' against Suleyman. Importantly, Israel significantly depends on AI models from Microsoft and OpenAI to determine bombing targets during its wars in Gaza and Lebanon, according to an investigation by the Associated Press News Agency. Since the beginning of Hamas-Israel War in Gaza, the Israeli occupation has killed at least 50,695 Palestinians and wounded 115,338 more, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Related Topics: Israel Targets Gaza City's Last Functioning Hospital as Hamas Delegation Arrives in Cairo 'Those Fighting for Peace in Gaza Deserve Prize', Says Nobel Peace Laureate Saudi Arabia Urges Global Action to End Gaza Blockade Short link : Post Views: 1
