Microsoft chief on Saturday (Nov 11) accused Russia of disseminating "disinformation" about the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas as tensions soar in the Middle East region.

Microsoft vice chair and president, Brad Smith, on being asked about his company's role in promoting peace at an international peace forum in Paris, said that the US tech giant and its rivals were battling disinformation, especially with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

He stated that Microsoft and other companies are doing this "by creating technological tools that facilitate the detection of manipulated, modified, altered content," according to remarks translated into French by radio France Inter.&nbsp;

"We are getting very good at identifying a Russian campaign, like when they tried to tell people not to get the Covid vaccine," he said.

"Or today, when we see Russian disinformation in the Middle East," he added.

He said the three options encountering tech platforms that determine this kind of false information are to simply, delete it, or re-label it and flag that the content has been modified.

"There is no societal consensus about what companies should do," Smith added.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fbi-confiscates-new-york-mayors-mobile-phones-says-campaign-lawyer-657467">FBI confiscates New York mayor Eric Adams' mobile phones, says campaign lawyer</a>

The Paris Peace Forum unfurled against a backdrop of an upsurge in the conflict around the globe, and more than a month into the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas launched unprecedented attacks against Israel on Oct 7, which Tel Aviv claims killed nearly 1,200 people and 239 were taken hostages by the militant group's gunmen.

Israel has since then retaliated by fiercely bombarding Gaza.

Earlier, the EU had opened disinformation probes into TikTok, X and Meta amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/video-hamas-used-a-school-in-gaza-as-its-military-base-claims-idf-657475">Video: Hamas used a school in Gaza as its military base, claims IDF</a>

The European Commission had sent formal requests seeking details on measures taken by the tech giants to curb the spread of false information on their respective platforms.

"I would ask you to be very vigilant to ensure strict compliance with the DSA rules on terms of service, on the requirement of timely, diligent and objective action following notices of illegal content in the EU, and on the need for proportionate and effective mitigation measures," the European Union's industry chief Thierry Breton told Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a letter.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

Microsoft chief on Saturday (Nov 11) accused Russia of disseminating "disinformation" about the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas as tensions soar in the Middle East region.

Microsoft chief on Saturday (Nov 11) accused Russia of disseminating "disinformation" about the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas as tensions soar in the Middle East region. Microsoft vice chair and president, Brad Smith, on being asked about his company's role in promoting peace at an international peace forum in Paris, said that the US tech giant and its rivals were battling disinformation, especially with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI). He stated that Microsoft and other companies are doing this "by creating technological tools that facilitate the detection of manipulated, modified, altered content," according to remarks translated into French by radio France Inter. "We are getting very good at identifying a Russian campaign, like when they tried to tell people not to get the Covid vaccine," he said. "Or today, when we see Russian disinformation in the Middle East," he added. He said the three options encountering tech platforms that determine this kind of false information are to simply, delete it, or re-label it and flag that the content has been modified. "There is no societal consensus about what companies should do," Smith added. Also read: FBI confiscates New York mayor Eric Adams' mobile phones, says campaign lawyer The Paris Peace Forum unfurled against a backdrop of an upsurge in the conflict around the globe, and more than a month into the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Hamas launched unprecedented attacks against Israel on Oct 7, which Tel Aviv claims killed nearly 1,200 people and 239 were taken hostages by the militant group's gunmen. Israel has since then retaliated by fiercely bombarding Gaza. Earlier, the EU had opened disinformation probes into TikTok, X and Meta amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. Also read: Video: Hamas used a school in Gaza as its military base, claims IDF The European Commission had sent formal requests seeking details on measures taken by the tech giants to curb the spread of false information on their respective platforms. "I would ask you to be very vigilant to ensure strict compliance with the DSA rules on terms of service, on the requirement of timely, diligent and objective action following notices of illegal content in the EU, and on the need for proportionate and effective mitigation measures," the European Union's industry chief Thierry Breton told Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a letter. (With inputs from agencies) Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

Microsoft chief Brad Smith says Russia spreading 'disinformation' about Israel-Hamas war

In a five-point plan for the public governance of the technology, Microsoft President Brad Smith stated on Thursday that humans must continue to be in charge of artificial intelligence and be held responsible for any errors.

Microsoft Chief Brad Smith: Machines should be subject to human oversight

Microsoft President Brad Smith has downplayed the metaverse 'hype' and said that it still requires a lot of work.

According to Smith, ''We're all talking about the metaverse as if we're entering some new dimension. This is not like dying and going to heaven. We're all going to be living in the real world with people.''

"I think (the metaverse) will be very big. Everyone is going to be entering this. We have to ensure that it protects privacy, digital safety and protects against disinformation, manipulation. We have a lot to clean up."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/microsoft-ceo-satya-nadella-launches-3d-avatars-enters-metaverse-race-426360" hreflang="en">Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella launches 3D avatars, enters metaverse race</a>

His statement comes a day after Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella unveiled three-dimensional versions in the company's teams app and stepped into the world of metaverse.

Smith highlighted that metaverse needs Big Tech actors like Facebook, Microsoft, Google and Apple would likely each develop their own versions of metaverse.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/tech-it-out-what-is-the-metaverse-424223/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

As Covid lockdown measures and work-from-home policies pushed more people online for both business and pleasure, the concept has surged in popularity during the pandemic.

During an interview he sidelines of Lisbon's Web Summit, he also said that ''Tech is going to have to lean in...with real concrete ideas...even make concessions, so that we can all compromise and build a common platform that better protects people than ... the internet as a whole has in recent past.''

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/what-is-metaverse-the-new-buzzword-in-internet-technology-412364">Also read |&nbsp;What is metaverse, the new buzzword in internet technology?</a>

"Government (will) see through that, and it's not going to bode well for the sector...We sort of need to get real."

Mark Zuckerberg renamed&nbsp;Facebook Inc. to&nbsp; Meta Platforms Inc. or Meta for short.&nbsp;

Facebook as 'Meta' in a strategic rebranding move that experts believed was a distraction from its privacy violations.

In a stinging rebuke,&nbsp;whistleblower Frances Haugen had accused&nbsp;the company of yet again prioritising expansion over people's safety.

(With inputs from agencies)

Microsoft President Brad Smith has downplayed the metaverse 'hype' and said that it still requires a lot of work. According to Smith, ''We're all talking about the metaverse as if we're entering some new dimension.

Microsoft President Brad Smith has downplayed the metaverse 'hype' and said that it still requires a lot of work. According to Smith, ''We're all talking about the metaverse as if we're entering some new dimension. This is not like dying and going to heaven. We're all going to be living in the real world with people.'' "I think (the metaverse) will be very big. Everyone is going to be entering this. We have to ensure that it protects privacy, digital safety and protects against disinformation, manipulation. We have a lot to clean up." Also read | Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella launches 3D avatars, enters metaverse race His statement comes a day after Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella unveiled three-dimensional versions in the company's teams app and stepped into the world of metaverse. Smith highlighted that metaverse needs Big Tech actors like Facebook, Microsoft, Google and Apple would likely each develop their own versions of metaverse. As Covid lockdown measures and work-from-home policies pushed more people online for both business and pleasure, the concept has surged in popularity during the pandemic. During an interview he sidelines of Lisbon's Web Summit, he also said that ''Tech is going to have to lean in...with real concrete ideas...even make concessions, so that we can all compromise and build a common platform that better protects people than ... the internet as a whole has in recent past.'' Also read | What is metaverse, the new buzzword in internet technology? "Government (will) see through that, and it's not going to bode well for the sector...We sort of need to get real." Mark Zuckerberg renamed Facebook Inc. to Meta Platforms Inc. or Meta for short. Facebook as 'Meta' in a strategic rebranding move that experts believed was a distraction from its privacy violations. In a stinging rebuke, whistleblower Frances Haugen had accused the company of yet again prioritising expansion over people's safety. (With inputs from agencies)

'Requires lot of work': Microsoft President Brad Smith downplays metaverse 'hype'

Some Microsoft Corp employees on Friday demanded that the company cancel a $480 million hardware contract to supply the US Army, with 94 workers signing a petition calling on the company to stop developing "any and all weapons technologies."

The organizing effort, described to Reuters by three Microsoft workers, offers the latest example in the last year of tech employees protesting cooperation with governments on emerging technologies.

Microsoft won a contract in November to supply the Army with at least 2,500 prototypes of augmented reality headsets, which digitally display contextual information in front of a user's eyes. The government has said the devices would be used on the battlefield and in training to improve soldiers "lethality, mobility and situational awareness."

In the petition to Microsoft executives, posted on Twitter, the workers said they "did not sign up to develop weapons, and we demand a say in how our work is used." They called on the company to develop "a public-facing acceptable use policy" for its technology and an external review board to publicly enforce it.

Microsoft said in a statement that it always appreciates employee feedback. It also referred to an October blog post by its president, Brad Smith, in which he said the company remained committed to assisting the military and would advocate for laws to ensure responsible use of new technologies.

The US Army did not provide immediate comment.

Shares of Microsoft fell 7 cents to $110.90 after hours on Friday.

Though many governments want to draw upon the expertise of the biggest US tech companies, employee resistance has added a new challenge to already complicated relationships.

Worker pushback led Alphabet Inc last year to announce it would not renew a Pentagon contract in which its artificial intelligence technology is used to analyze drone imagery.

In other cases, employee criticism has invited greater public scrutiny to deals, such as $10 billion cloud computing contract yet to be awarded and various contracts with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

One Microsoft worker, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it was unclear whether any of the lead petitioners' work was part of the Army contract. Another said several organizers work in the company's cloud computing division, which is competing with rivals Google Cloud and Amazon Web Services to gain more government work.

Microsoft is expected unveil updates to HoloLens, its headset for businesses and governments, during an event at the Mobile World Congress industry conference in Barcelona on Sunday.

Some Microsoft Corp employees on Friday demanded that the company cancel a $480 million hardware contract to supply the US Army, with 94 workers signing a petition calling on the company to stop developing "any and all weapons technologies.

Some Microsoft Corp employees on Friday demanded that the company cancel a $480 million hardware contract to supply the US Army, with 94 workers signing a petition calling on the company to stop developing "any and all weapons technologies." The organizing effort, described to Reuters by three Microsoft workers, offers the latest example in the last year of tech employees protesting cooperation with governments on emerging technologies. Microsoft won a contract in November to supply the Army with at least 2,500 prototypes of augmented reality headsets, which digitally display contextual information in front of a user's eyes. The government has said the devices would be used on the battlefield and in training to improve soldiers "lethality, mobility and situational awareness." In the petition to Microsoft executives, posted on Twitter, the workers said they "did not sign up to develop weapons, and we demand a say in how our work is used." They called on the company to develop "a public-facing acceptable use policy" for its technology and an external review board to publicly enforce it. Microsoft said in a statement that it always appreciates employee feedback. It also referred to an October blog post by its president, Brad Smith, in which he said the company remained committed to assisting the military and would advocate for laws to ensure responsible use of new technologies. The US Army did not provide immediate comment. Shares of Microsoft fell 7 cents to $110.90 after hours on Friday. Though many governments want to draw upon the expertise of the biggest US tech companies, employee resistance has added a new challenge to already complicated relationships. Worker pushback led Alphabet Inc last year to announce it would not renew a Pentagon contract in which its artificial intelligence technology is used to analyze drone imagery. In other cases, employee criticism has invited greater public scrutiny to deals, such as $10 billion cloud computing contract yet to be awarded and various contracts with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. One Microsoft worker, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it was unclear whether any of the lead petitioners' work was part of the Army contract. Another said several organizers work in the company's cloud computing division, which is competing with rivals Google Cloud and Amazon Web Services to gain more government work. Microsoft is expected unveil updates to HoloLens, its headset for businesses and governments, during an event at the Mobile World Congress industry conference in Barcelona on Sunday.

Microsoft workers demand to drop $480 million US Army contract

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/dont-fight-in-front-of-the-kids-pope-francis-190061">Pope Francis</a> debated the potential threats artificial intelligence poses to humanity with the head of Microsoft on Wednesday, ahead of a robotics summit at the Vatican, it said.

"In the wrong hands, every instrument can become a weapon if the organisational power of humanity cannot keep up with the technology itself," Microsoft head Brad Smith said in an interview ahead of the papal meeting.

With Francis he discussed "artificial intelligence at the service of the common good and activities aimed at bridging the digital divide that still persists at the global level," the Vatican said.

The pontiff had urged world leaders gathered in Davos last year to ensure that AI "contribute(s) to the service of humanity and to the protection of our common home, rather than to the contrary".

Smith told the Vatican's L'Osservatore Romano newspaper that "in order to ensure people have confidence in technology, we must think beyond the technology itself".

"We need strong ethical principles, new evolved laws, the training of people with new skills and even labour market reforms".

Microsoft and the Vatican's Pontifical Academy for Life launched an international prize on ethics in artificial intelligence (AI), the academy said.

It will go to the best doctoral dissertation between September 2018 and October 2019 on AI at the service of humanity.

"AI will have an impact on every area of society and will not be created by or used by the technology sector alone. That's why the world must come together to face these problems with a sense of shared responsibility," Smith said.

His visit came ahead of a summit on "Robo-ethics: Humans, Machines and Health" at the Vatican on February 25 and 26.

The workshop will focus on the use of robots and artificial intelligence, specifically in medicine and health care, and how they are having an ever-increasing impact on human lives, relationships, communities and creation.

It will be followed in 2020 by a plenary assembly on artificial intelligence.

Pope Francis debated the potential threats artificial intelligence poses to humanity with the head of Microsoft on Wednesday, ahead of a robotics summit at the Vatican, it said.

Pope Francis debated the potential threats artificial intelligence poses to humanity with the head of Microsoft on Wednesday, ahead of a robotics summit at the Vatican, it said. "In the wrong hands, every instrument can become a weapon if the organisational power of humanity cannot keep up with the technology itself," Microsoft head Brad Smith said in an interview ahead of the papal meeting. With Francis he discussed "artificial intelligence at the service of the common good and activities aimed at bridging the digital divide that still persists at the global level," the Vatican said. The pontiff had urged world leaders gathered in Davos last year to ensure that AI "contribute(s) to the service of humanity and to the protection of our common home, rather than to the contrary". Smith told the Vatican's L'Osservatore Romano newspaper that "in order to ensure people have confidence in technology, we must think beyond the technology itself". "We need strong ethical principles, new evolved laws, the training of people with new skills and even labour market reforms". Microsoft and the Vatican's Pontifical Academy for Life launched an international prize on ethics in artificial intelligence (AI), the academy said. It will go to the best doctoral dissertation between September 2018 and October 2019 on AI at the service of humanity. "AI will have an impact on every area of society and will not be created by or used by the technology sector alone. That's why the world must come together to face these problems with a sense of shared responsibility," Smith said. His visit came ahead of a summit on "Robo-ethics: Humans, Machines and Health" at the Vatican on February 25 and 26. The workshop will focus on the use of robots and artificial intelligence, specifically in medicine and health care, and how they are having an ever-increasing impact on human lives, relationships, communities and creation. It will be followed in 2020 by a plenary assembly on artificial intelligence.

Pope Francis, Microsoft chief Brad Smith discuss ethics of artificial intelligence

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Microsoft chief Brad Smith says Russia spreading 'disinformation' about Israel-Hamas war

Microsoft Chief Brad Smith: Machines should be subject to human oversight

'Requires lot of work': Microsoft President Brad Smith downplays metaverse 'hype'

Microsoft workers demand to drop $480 million US Army contract

Pope Francis, Microsoft chief Brad Smith discuss ethics of artificial intelligence