The American tech giant, Microsoft, has disclosed that it has sold its advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing tools to the Israeli military during the Gaza war. The firm stated that it has provided its advanced technologies to rescue more than 250 hostages taken by Hamas. This was the first time they publicly talked about being involved in the conflict.
The firm has stated that it looked into its role and found no proof that its technology was used to hurt and target the people in Gaza. As per the report, the firm has explained that the Israeli military used its Azure cloud storage and AI tools for language translation, manage data.
This information was then checked with Israel’s AI systems to pick targets, a process that increased almost 200 times after the Hamas attack. The firm also granted extra support and special access to Israel for its advanced technologies to support efforts to rescue hostages, while being careful to protect the rights of civilians in Gaza.
The report surfaced just weeks after some of the former employees began to protest at the firm’s 50th anniversary. Microsoft’s AI CEO, Mustafa Suleyman was called a “war profitier,” the group also demanded that Microsoft “stop using AI for genocide in our region.”
No Azure for Apartheid, a group of current and former Microsoft employees joined critics in demanding the full release of the investigative report, calling the statement a “PR stunt.” Hossam Nasr, a former employee who organized a vigil for Palestinians, criticized Microsoft’s transparency after being fired in October 2024.
Cindy Cohn of the Electronic Frontier Foundation welcomed the step toward openness but noted unanswered questions about the military’s use of Microsoft’s AI on government servers. Emelia Probasco from Georgetown University highlighted the unusual dynamic of a tech company setting terms for a government in conflict.
Also Read: What is “ChatIDF,” Israel’s AI project embedded with their war in Gaza?
