Comment on Microsoft fires employee protestor who called AI boss a ‘war profiteer’

• RowRowRowYourBot@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

  What message was that? They work for Microsoft a company that has had DOD contracts for at least the last 25-30 years.

  They were a war profiteer when this worker got their gig. Why is it a problem now?

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  • underwire212@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

    Problems can be ongoing or increase in severity. Just because it’s been an issue for a while doesn’t mean it’s too late for change.

    Also, some people don’t have the luxury to choose an ethical employer (if they even exist).

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    • RowRowRowYourBot@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

      If you are in tech getting hired by microsoft you should have options

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      • underwire212@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

        Ethical options?

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      • elbarto777@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

        …maybe.

        Or, hear me out, the dude specifically applied for Microsoft with the intention of changing shit.

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  • IndustryStandard@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

    Direct participation in the military systems for a genocide is a tad further than the military industrial complex.

    The message is that people participating in genocide will not be made at the very least very uncomfortable for doing so.

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    • RowRowRowYourBot@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

      They had IDF contracts for decades as well. Seriously if they had a problem with this and this is not a PR stunt by this person they are choosing an odd time to make this statement.

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      • IndustryStandard@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

        An active mass genocide is an odd time to make a statement?

        Microsoft lied about not supplying the IDF military cloud in the past.

        And AI is a far more direct contribution to genocide than excel support.

        Plenty of reasons to do it now. And better now than tomorrow.

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      • Shardikprime@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

        Literally this

        It’s like they are signaling to the world guess virtuous they are

        A kind of high ground moral messaging if you will

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  • elbarto777@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

    Oh yeah, “modern day slavery has been a problem for years. Why be vocal about it now?”

    Look, I am a cynical nobody, so I sometimes think “nothing will ever change.” But some brave souls, more idealistic than me, take these steps with the hope that it will spark change - or at least it will put one more straw in the camel.

    So yeah, it’s about sending a message, and I think that’s important.

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