GENEVA

Around 100 activists from the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement gathered Tuesday at Geneva's Broken Chair monument to protest the opening of the AI for Good Global Summit, accusing the major tech companies of complicity in war crimes against Palestinians.

Held under the banner "No AI for War Crimes," the protest was timed to coincide with the first day of the summit, which is hosted by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), in partnership with the Swiss government and more than 40 UN agencies. Taking place at Geneva’s Palexpo convention center, the four-day event brings together global leaders, innovators, and civil society to discuss how artificial intelligence can help tackle global challenges such as climate change, health, and education.

The protesters chanted slogans including "Boycott Israel," "Free Palestine," while holding signs reading "No tech for apartheid," "No tech for genocide," and "No AI for war crimes," describing the summit as "UNethical, UNlawful and UNacceptable."

The protest followed the release of a recent report by UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, which details what she describes as an "economic genocide" in Gaza. The report named 48 corporate actors, including several tech companies, saying they are directly linked to a broader “economy of occupation” sustaining the Israeli state's actions.

Leandro Montes from the BDS movement said during his speech: "I'm speaking to raise alarm bells about the United Nations AI for Good Summit taking place this week by partnering with and platforming tech companies that have enabled Israel's AI-assisted genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. This UN summit is whitewashing big tech's complicity in atrocity crimes."

Maia, a BDS activist, told Anadolu that the problem is not just that they're letting these companies participate, but also, letting them be the main sponsor of the event.

"It's especially hypocritical to host this event the week after the report Albanese wrote on how these companies specifically are all complicit in this genocide," Maia added.

Freya, a student at ETH Zurich and BDS member, told Anadolu: "Geneva was the birthplace of the Geneva Conventions. And coming to Geneva to do [the] AI for Good Summit is literally burying the Geneva Conventions that are meant to uphold civilian protection… The UN is delegitimizing itself with this conference, with hosting big tech at an AI for Good conference during an AI-powered genocide."