It looks like Microsoft might need a new PR playbook (because the one they’re using is backfiring big time).

On one hand, they’re telling us how they’re going to save the world, becoming “carbon negative” by 2030 (cue the violins and the eco-friendly Instagram ads). But on the other hand, according to some whistleblowers, they’re allegedly making backroom deals with the very companies trying to squeeze every last drop of oil from the Earth.

Now, let me be clear, I don’t hate oil. It’s fueled everything from my morning commute to the plane that took me to my last vacation (because, let’s be honest, solar planes aren’t exactly a thing). But what I can’t stand is the hypocrisy of saying one thing for good PR while doing the exact opposite behind closed doors. And that’s exactly what Microsoft seems to be pulling off right now.

While we’re all being told Microsoft is throwing every ounce of innovation into saving the planet, allegedly the same company has been secretly selling AI tools to Big Oil. We’re talking custom-built AI systems designed to help petroleum giants like ExxonMobil and Chevron figure out where to drill next. In fact, in 2022, Microsoft pitched ExxonMobil on an AI service that could allegedly boost their annual revenue by (wait for it) $1.4 billion. You can almost hear the boardroom cheers from here. These tools claim to “optimize” oil extraction, which is a fancy way of saying, “let’s make sure we’re getting every last drop out of the ground.”

(Source: Futurism)

Publicly, Microsoft is all about sustainability. They’re promising to be carbon negative, meaning they’ll suck more carbon out of the air than they produce by 2030. But, behind closed doors, they’re reportedly helping to keep the oil industry alive and well.

Of course, former employees keep crawling out of the woodwork, and one of them is Holly Alpine, a sustainability expert who bailed on Microsoft after nearly a decade. She wasn’t shy about throwing some shade, claiming that the company’s shiny, feel-good sustainability pitch is covering up something far grimmer. “The whole story is much darker,” she said, clearly enjoying her 15 minutes of fame.

In a classic “look over here, not there” move, Microsoft just dropped some exciting AI news. They’ve announced their latest AI endeavor—autonomous agents, part of their expanding Copilot AI platform. CEO Satya Nadella and CMO Jared Spataro revealed the new software at their AI Tour event in London, hoping the headlines about this new tech will drown out any mention of those whistleblower stories.

The autonomous agents, available for preview next month, are supposed to make life easier for companies by taking care of routine tasks like sorting through emails and managing data entry. Sure, it sounds helpful (and probably is), but it’s also hard to ignore the irony of AI being touted as a worker’s best friend while it’s also being used to boost oil profits.

As Microsoft gears up to report earnings later this month, all eyes will be on the tech giant to see if they can maintain their trend of smashing expectations. Over the past eight quarters, they’ve consistently delivered impressive earnings, even pulling off a 12.9% earnings per share (EPS) beat in Q1 2024. Revenue? Well, they’re no slouch there either, with a nearly $2 billion revenue beat during that same period. Even in Q2 2024, they beat EPS by 5.8%, keeping analysts and investors alike bullish on Microsoft’s future.

Even though Microsoft stock has dipped by 4.4% over the past month, it’s still up 12.2% year-to-date. Over the last year, the stock has gained a solid 25.3%, and zooming out to the past five years, it has surged by an impressive 202.8%. Clearly, Microsoft has been a reliable performer for long-term investors and I doubt any oil controversy is going to stop that.

P.S. Yeah, I know it’s Monday—you're probably still trying to figure out how your weekend flew by so fast, but trust me, this is worth your attention. Last week’s alert popped 203%! $QNRX exploded, and premium subscribers grabbed it at $0.51 before it rocketed to $1.56 in under four hours. Don’t miss the next one—click here now, and then you can get back to figuring out how many coffees it’s going to take to survive today.

Stock.News has positions in Microsoft, ExxonMobil, and Meta.