Protesters disrupted a high-profile artificial intelligence ethics conference in Seattle on Thursday, directly confronting Microsoft executives over the company’s role in the genocide being committed by Israel in the Gaza Strip.

The demonstration, led by the grassroots campaign “No Azure for Apartheid,” challenged Microsoft’s ongoing partnership with the Israeli military amid its catastrophic assault on Gaza.

The protest took place during the “Ethics & Technology 2025: Governing Artificial Intelligence” conference at Seattle University. Activists interrupted speeches by Mike Jackson, Deputy General Manager of Microsoft’s Office of Artificial Intelligence, and Teresa Hutson, Vice President of Corporate Responsibility, calling out the tech giant’s hypocrisy in claiming to promote ethics while fueling Israeli war crimes.

“No ethics in genocide,” “Microsoft, you can’t hide, you support genocide,” and “End all contracts with Israel now” echoed through the hall as protesters unfurled Palestinian flags and signs reading “AI is irresponsible.” Jackson was forced offstage within minutes, and the session was eventually canceled. The protest continued in the lobby, where demonstrators accused Seattle University of complicity for hosting Microsoft representatives.

The “No Azure for Apartheid” campaign, part of the broader “No Tech for Apartheid” movement, has united students, educators, workers, and human rights advocates in demanding an end to tech industry complicity in the Israeli regime’s war crimes. Their call is clear: Microsoft must cut ties with Israel’s apartheid infrastructure and live up to its stated values.

Microsoft previously admitted in May that it provides cloud computing and artificial intelligence services to Israel’s Ministry of Defense. While the company claimed there is “no evidence” its services were used to harm civilians, a January 2025 investigation by the Associated Press revealed otherwise: AI models developed by Microsoft and OpenAI were reportedly integrated into the Israeli military’s targeting systems, selecting bombing targets in Gaza and Lebanon.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel—armed and politically shielded by the United States—has waged a genocidal campaign against Palestinians in Gaza. The assault has led to the deaths or injuries of over 186,000 people, the majority of them women and children, while more than 11,000 remain missing and hundreds of thousands displaced. Famine, caused by Israel’s blockade and bombing of food and aid infrastructure, has already claimed the lives of children.

Thursday’s protest in Seattle was not just a disruption—it was a moral reckoning. As the bodies pile up in Gaza, protesters demanded accountability and action, not empty corporate statements. Their message was unambiguous: stop profiting from apartheid and genocide, and stand on the side of justice for Palestine. (ILKHA)