Last Friday, two software engineers vocally protested Microsoft’s AI technology used by the Israeli military. This occurred after the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement’s calls to boycott Xbox that week. Reports indicate that the engineers have since been terminated.

According to internal communications reviewed by CNBC, Ibtihal Aboussad was told her employment was terminated due to “just cause, wilful misconduct, disobedience or wilful neglect of duty.” Vaniya Agrawal had planned to resign but was told her resignation was made effective immediately.

Microsoft cited the public nature of Aboussad’s protest against AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman’s speech at the company’s anniversary event. During this event, Aboussad confronted Suleyman about the ethical implications of Microsoft supplying technology to a militarized regime, stating, “Mustafa, shame on you. You claim to care about using AI for good, but Microsoft sells AI weapons to the Israeli military. Fifty thousand people have died, and Microsoft powers this genocide in our region.”

As previously reported, the Israeli military has increasingly utilized Microsoft’s AI technology since the attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023, now being its second largest military customer after the U.S.

The BDS movement has called for a boycott of Microsoft gaming products, urging gamers to cancel Xbox Game Pass subscriptions and all Microsoft Gaming products, including consoles and accessories. Aboussad highlighted her moral choice in an email addressed to several Microsoft executives, pointing to the company’s effort to suppress dissent regarding its involvement with the conflict.