Brian Eno, the composer of the Home windows 95 startup sound, has penned an open letter calling for Microsoft to cease offering synthetic intelligence and cloud companies to the Israeli army. Titled “Not in My Title,” the letter outlines the corporate’s technological assist for Israel’s Ministry of Protection, as detailed in a Microsoft blog post final week. “If you happen to knowingly construct programs that may allow battle crimes, you inevitably grow to be complicit in these crimes,” wrote Eno. In response, he pledges to donate his price for the Home windows 95 composition to victims of the assaults in Gaza.
Within the letter, Eno mentioned his unique work with Microsoft “represented a gateway to a promising technological future.” He added, “I by no means would have believed that the identical firm might in the future be implicated within the equipment of oppression and battle.”
Eno cited the Microsoft weblog put up as proof of its collaboration with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s authorities, and the corporate’s “assist of a regime,” he wrote, “that’s engaged in actions described by main authorized students and human rights organisations, the United Nations specialists, and growing numbers of governments from world wide, as genocidal.”
Eno went on to precise solidarity with Microsoft employees who’ve “carried out one thing actually disruptive and refused to remain silent.” Discover his full letter under.
Brian Eno is a longtime critic of Israel and supporter of the pro-Palestine Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. Via his assist of the Palestinian folks and the BDS motion, he has typically urged musicians to not play concerts in Israel.
Not in My Title: An Open Letter to Microsoft from Brian Eno
Within the mid-Nineties, I used to be requested to compose a brief piece of music for Microsoft’s Home windows 95 working system. Thousands and thousands – probably even billions – of individuals have since heard that quick start-up chime—which represented a gateway to a promising technological future. I gladly took on the venture as a artistic problem and loved the interplay with my contacts on the firm. I by no means would have believed that the identical firm might in the future be implicated within the equipment of oppression and battle.
As we speak, I’m compelled to talk, not as a compser this time, however as a citizen by the position Microsoft is enjoying in a really completely different type of composition: one which results in surveillance, violence, and destruction in Palestine.
In a weblog put up dated Could 15, 2025, Microsoft acknowledged that it gives Israel’s Ministry of Defence with “software program, skilled companies, Azure cloud companies and Azure AI companies, together with language translation.” It went on to state that “It is very important acknowledge that Microsoft doesn’t have visibility into how prospects use our software program on their very own servers or different gadgets”. These “companies” assist a regime that’s engaged in actions described by main authorized students and human rights organisations, the United Nations specialists, and growing numbers of governments from world wide, as genocidal. The collaboration between Microsoft and the Israeli authorities and armed forces isn’t any secret and entails the corporate’s software program being utilized in deadly applied sciences with ‘humorous’ names like ‘The place’s Daddy?’ (- steering programs for monitoring Palestinians with the intention to blow them up of their properties).
Promoting and facilitating superior AI and cloud companies to a authorities engaged in systemic ethnic cleaning is just not ‘enterprise is common’. It’s complicity. If you happen to knowingly construct programs that may allow battle crimes, you inevitably grow to be complicit in these crimes.
We now stay in an age the place firms like Microsoft typically command extra affect than governments. I consider that with such an influence comes an absolute moral duty. Accordingly, I name on Microsoft to droop all companies that assist any operations that contribute to violations of worldwide legislation.
My new begin up chime is that this: stand in solidarity with the courageous Microsoft employees who’ve carried out one thing actually disruptive and refused to remain silent. They threat their livelihoods for individuals who have misplaced and can proceed to lose their lives.
I invite artists, technologists, musicians, and all folks of conscience to affix me on this name.
I additionally pledge that the price I initially acquired for that Home windows 95 chime will now go in the direction of serving to the victims of the assaults on Gaza. If a sound can sign an actual change then let it’s this one.
