April 4, 2025 at 1:15 PM ET: This piece has been updated with a video of the incident in question. It has also been updated to mention a report by Drop Site . The protester appears to have been referencing claims regarding Microsoft and the Israeli military, though we are still awaiting confirmed details.
Near the beginning of Microsoft’s 50th Anniversary Copilot Event , a protester interrupted the company’s presentation.
The protester was seemingly off to the side of the stage, so it is difficult to understand what they yelled.
To the best of my ability, I have transcribed what I believe the protester stated:
“You claim that you care… that you use AI for good… but Microsoft sells AI weapons to the Israeli military. 50,000 people have died.”
The protester’s comments happened during the presentation of Microsoft Copilot CEO Mustafa Suleyman.
Suleyman responded by saying “thank you for your protest, I hear your protest.”
I cannot determine intent or feelings of those involved with the incident. It does appear that Suleyman appeared to be making an attempt to deescalate the situation and to not comment on any specific statements made by the protester.
The protester appears to have yelled “shame on you” at Suleyman. They also seem to state “you have blood on your hands… all of Microsoft has blood on its hands.”
Other accusations were made, though it is difficult to decipher the statements of the protester. I believe at one point the phrase “killing children” was yelled.
Suleyman transitioned back to his presentation in a calm manner following the protest.
The live stream below still shows the incident at the time of publication. Our Senior Editor Zac Bowden also shared a video of the incident on X .
Note: This is a developing story and we will add more information as it becomes available.
Introducing Your AI Companion | Microsoft Copilot – YouTube
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What was the protest about?
With the protest happening during a live event, it will likely take a while to receive an official response from Microsoft. Details of the incident are also sourced from a live stream and people attending the event in person.
Based on the comment stated during the protest, the protester appears to be referencing a report by Drop Site that claims the Israeli military is one of Microsoft’s top AI customers.
That report came out on January 23, 2025 and cites leaked documents.
