Journal of Other Forum Analysis (Volume II, Issue 2)

[benji]

Know everything's getting buried in this thread right now but did want to say aloud that as head of AI product at Microsoft, wouldn't Asha have been responsible for selling/providing the AI models that Israel's military allegedly used/is using in its genocide of Palestine?

Since it didn't necessarily fit here, I wrote up a timeline of Asha Sharma's hiring to Microsoft, details of her role, and Microsoft's involvement with Israel's genocide of Palestians over in the Xbox boycott thread. Encourage folk to at least give it a ponder.

February 2024: Asha Sharma is hired by Microsoft. "Asha Sharma leads product development for Microsoft's AI Platform. The AI Platform serves all Microsoft teams and enterprise customers with critical infrastructure, foundation models, and tool chains to build, manage, and deploy AI and agentic applications. This includes products ranging from Azure AI Foundry, Azure OpenAI, Azure Machine Learning, Responsible AI to AI Search to our customizable APIs and Azure AI Services. Asha also oversees Applied Engineering, Computational Engineering and Growth."
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March - July 2024: "Israeli military's usage of Microsoft and OpenAI artificial intelligence spiked [March, 2024] to nearly 200 times higher than before the week leading up to the Oct. 7 attack, the AP found in reviewing internal company information. The amount of data it stored on Microsoft servers doubled between that time and July 2024 to more than 13.6 petabytes — roughly 350 times the digital memory needed to store every book in the Library of Congress. Usage of Microsoft's huge banks of computer servers by the military also rose by almost two-thirds in the first two months of the war alone."

"Advanced AI models are provided through OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, through Microsoft's Azure cloud platform, where they are purchased by the Israeli military, the documents and data show. Microsoft has been OpenAI's largest investor. "
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January 2025: "The leaked documents, which include commercial records from Israel's defence ministry and files from Microsoft's Israeli subsidiary, suggest Microsoft's products and services, chiefly its Azure cloud computing platform, were used by units across Israel's air, ground and naval forces, as well as its intelligence directorate."

"As a trusted partner of Israel's defence ministry, Microsoft was frequently tasked with working on sensitive and highly classified projects. Its staff also worked closely with the IDF's intelligence directorate, including its elite surveillance division, Unit 8200."

"The leaked documents illustrate how the US tech behemoth supported a range of sensitive activities, including:
Azure, Microsoft's cloud platform, was used by multiple military intelligence units, including Unit 8200 and Unit 81, which develops cutting-edge spy technology for Israel's intelligence community.
A system Israeli security forces use to manage the population registry and movement of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, known as "Rolling Stone", was maintained using Microsoft's technology.
During the Gaza offensive, Microsoft's suite of communications and messaging systems were used by Ofek, an air force unit responsible for managing large databases of potential targets for lethal strikes known as "target banks".
Microsoft's staff and contractors have also worked closely with military personnel across the IDF, providing advice and technical support both remotely and on military bases."
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February 2025: "Advanced AI models are provided through OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, through Microsoft's Azure cloud platform, where they are purchased by the Israeli military, the documents and data show. Microsoft has been OpenAI's largest investor. "

"The Israeli military declined to answer detailed written questions from The AP about its use of commercial AI products from American tech companies, but said its analysts use AI-enabled systems to help identify targets and independently examine them together with high-ranking officers to meet international law, weighing the military advantage against the collateral damage."

" 'These AI tools make the intelligence process more accurate and more effective," said an Israeli military statement to the AP. "⁠They make more targets faster, but not at the expense of accuracy, and many times in this war they've been able to minimize civilian casualties.' "
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September 2025: 9 months after reporting publicized that Microsoft AI and infrastructure was being used by Israel to target and kill Palestinians, Microsoft ends support for the Israeli military. Services are still being provided for Israel outside of military usage.

Microsoft VC and P Brad Smith: "I want to let you know that Microsoft has ceased and disabled a set of services to a unit within the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD).

While our review is ongoing, we have found evidence that supports elements of The Guardian's reporting. This evidence includes information relating to IMOD consumption of Azure storage capacity in the Netherlands and the use of AI services.

We therefore have informed IMOD of Microsoft's decision to cease and disable specified IMOD subscriptions and their services, including their use of specific cloud storage and AI services and technologies. We have reviewed this decision with IMOD and the steps we are taking to ensure compliance with our terms of service, focused on ensuring our services are not used for mass surveillance of civilians."
"
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February 2026: Asha Sharma is made CEO of Xbox. She had remained lead of AI platforms at Microsoft since her hiring in February 2024.
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 BAN MICROSOFT

Related bluexy content:

He didn't just cave, he was one of the key negotiators with Republicans. He didn't actually vote for it, though! Schumer protected him knowing the vote would have political ramifications. He did vote for the Laken Riley Act, though, which is the key piece of legislation that has unleashed ICE into our streets and allows them to detain pretty much anyone indefinitely. That's right. After Trump was elected running on "MASS DEPORTATIONS" Mark Kelly voted to give ICE the power to indefinitely hold anyone, and then months later after the ICE terror campaign was well underway he was a key voice in negotiating giving ICE its unimaginable current budget.

Mark Kelly is one of the most conservative Democrats in federal government. He's a fascist stooge, and should be the face of the modern neoliberal "Cave to the Right" movement.

I preferred the reddit version:

Add another homophobic, genocide-loving, pro-ICE, corporate fuckwad Democrat to the pile that will continue our spiral into fascism. Not to mention another $10 million in corporate-funded bots to persuade us this one is different than the last neoliberal, and the countless blue MAGA stooges who have no beliefs other than what the corporate media tells them.

He was one of the few Senators that helped Trump's budget go through, well-reported he was a key figure in negotiations, but didn't have to vote yes because Schumer had someone take his spot so it wouldn't come weigh him down politically.

But he did vote for Laken Riley in 2025 after Trump's second term started, one of 12 Democrats that helped Republicans pass it. That's the bill that's led to the indefinite detention of countless immigrants and Americans by ICE, what's embolded them into violence. That was Kelly. He still hasn't apologized for it.

Kelly is one of the most conservative Democrats in the Senate. He's most conservative than both Biden and Harris. He's more militant, more anti-immigrant, pro-ICE, pro-Israel.

Folk outside of Arizona only know him as the masculine astronaut who has told Trump to fuck off. But he's fucking awful.

By "one of the most conservative Democrats", "fascist stooge", "neoliberal 'Cave to the Right' movement" he means Kelly votes against Trump (including appointments) only 80% of the time versus 90% of the time for the mean Democrat:

Spoiler:  (click to show)(click to hide)

The Laken Riley Act absolutely does not allow the detention of anyone indefinitely, it requires the detention of non-citizens charged or convicted of a crime during immigration cases, the latter of which was already the law. It did not enable anything ICE is doing as they either already had this power (Trump/Project 2025/etc. interpretation) or they currently don't.