Microsoft approved AI for target selection in Gaza — but won't say what the data was
microsoft admits its azure cloud powered israeli military ai but refuses to inspect the data, leaving oversight of lethal tech unenforced.
following an external investigation by covington & burling, microsoft confirmed that the israeli military used its azure cloud for storage and ai services, including reportedly for ai-powered target selection in gaza. the company announced five new safeguards for conflict zones, including stricter reviews for security agencies and a new 'trusted technology review' channel, following the departure of microsoft israel's country manager alon haimovich. critically, neither microsoft nor the law firm examined the actual contents of the military data, citing customer privacy, which means the operational use of the technology remains opaque despite evidence of terms of use violations in europe.