Microsoft Gaza accusations: Company responds to concerns about work with Israel

Internal review and 'external fact finding' conducted amid claims its products are used by Israeli military in Gaza

Microsoft on Friday announced that an internal review had found "no evidence" its products have been used to harm people in Gaza.

The statement, posted to the "Microsoft On the Issues" website, comes weeks after several employees interrupted a speech by Microsoft's AI chief Mustafa Suleyman and accused the tech firm of harming civilians in the Palestinian enclave.

The statement said the Redmond, Washington-based company conducted a review, with the help of an outside firm, that involved interviews with dozens of employees and the lengthy assessment of documents after it "heard concerns from our employees and the public about media reports regarding Microsoft’s Azure and AI technologies".

A pro-Palestinian demonstrator holds a kufiyyeh as she interrupts Microsoft AI chief executive Mustafa Suleyman during a presentation of the company's AI assistant, Copilot, at Microsoft headquarters. AP

The statement reiterated, however, that Microsoft works with the Israel Ministry of Defence by providing software as well as the company's Azure cloud and AI services.

"As with many governments around the world, we also work with the Israeli government to protect its national cyberspace against external threats," Microsoft's statement explained, adding that the company's review found no evidence that Microsoft's offerings were used to harm people, nor did it find evidence that Israel's military failed to comply with Microsoft's terms of service.

There were some caveats in Microsoft's statement, however.

"Microsoft provided limited emergency support to the Israeli government in the weeks following October 7, 2023, to help rescue hostages," the statement continued, saying those instances came with "significant oversight" from the company.

It also said that throughout those instances, it tried to ensure that privacy and other rights of civilians in Gaza were respected.

Towards the end of the statement, however, there was acknowledgement that because of the nature of how software and AI tools are used, Microsoft's own investigation might have been limited.

"Microsoft does not have visibility into how customers use our software on their own servers or other devices," the company explained, before concluding with a message expressing concern over the loss of life in Israel and Gaza.

In a letter to shareholders, Alex Karp, chief executive of Palantir Technologies, sought to briefly address the protesters crtitiquing his company's defence contracts with the US military and other entities. AFP

Israel's punishing campaign in the enclave – which followed the 2023 attacks by Hamas-led fighters on Israel that resulted in the deaths of about 1,200 people and the capture of 240 hostages – has killed about 53,000 people and injured at least 118,000.

Microsoft is not the only tech company to become the object of criticism in the context of the Israel-Gaza war

In May, Palantir chief executive Alex Karp spent more than 10 minutes sparring with a protester at an event over the company's technology being used by the Israeli military.

“She believes I’m evil, and I believe she’s an unwitting product of an evil force, Hamas. She’s unwittingly part of their strategy. She’s a product,” Mr Karp said to the crowd, referring to the demonstrator who interrupted a panel discussion in Washington.

Several days later, in a letter to shareholders, he doubled down on his thoughts about the recent spike in demonstrations against his company, and even quoted former US president Richard Nixon.

"Always remember, others may hate you, but those who hate you don’t win, unless you hate them. And then, you destroy yourself," he wrote.

"We note only that our commitment to building software for the US military, to those whom we have asked to step into harm’s way, remains steadfast, when such a commitment is fashionable and convenient and when it is not."

Scale AI chief executive says the company has a "moral imperative" to help solve US national security challenges through AI. Photo: CSIS

The increasingly powerful AI tech firm Scale AI has come under similar criticism for having significant contracts with the US military.

The company's chief executive stood by the company's work and addressed the concerns from critics in a recent interview at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington.

“We’re at the brink of this incredibly powerful new technology, and the applications for national security are obvious," he explained.

"It’s going to be imperative for the US to stay ahead."