Microsoft fires employee who interrupted CEO's speech to protest AI tech for Israel

Core Viewpoint - Microsoft has faced internal protests regarding its technology supply to the Israeli military during the ongoing conflict in Gaza, leading to employee terminations and disruptions at a major company event [1][3][10]. Group 1: Employee Protests - Software engineer Joe Lopez interrupted CEO Satya Nadella's speech at the annual Build developer conference to protest Microsoft's involvement with the Israeli military [2][5]. - Lopez's protest was part of a series of pro-Palestinian disruptions at the conference, which included interruptions of executive talks and external protests [3][10]. - The advocacy group No Azure for Apartheid claims that Lopez was terminated following his protest and alleges that Microsoft has blocked internal emails containing terms like "Palestine" and "Gaza" [10]. Group 2: Company Response - Microsoft acknowledged providing AI services to the Israeli military but stated that there is no evidence that its Azure platform was used to target or harm individuals in Gaza [4]. - The company has a history of terminating employees who protest its operations related to Israel, including incidents at its 50th anniversary event [3][7].