‘The machine did it coldly’: Israel used AI to identify 37,000 Hamas targets
GuardianMar 28
Reports: Israel Using Sophisticated AI in War in Gaza
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The Facts
As the war in Gaza enters its seventh month, the media has increasingly reported on Israel's use of AI-based technologies to assist it in several areas of the war. On Friday, The Intercept reported that Israel's use of Google Photos violated the company's rules.
Israel has reportedly used Google Photos for its facial recognition program in Gaza, with an Israeli official saying it worked better than any alternative facial recognition tech and assisted in making a "hit list" of alleged Hamas fighters who participated in the Oct. 7 attack.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
AI-based systems in war don't have to be perfect, they just need to be better than humans. Of course, there's always a danger that policymakers will go too far using AI in war, but that doesn't mean that AI-based intelligence gathering and weapons systems have to be limited altogether. The AI arms race is here and countries must adapt to this new frontier.
Establishment-critical narrative
This could very well be a war crime. Israel is using systems that are largely untested and are known to make errors. Still they've put together "kill lists" with as many as 37K names on them, with humans monitoring the AI as nothing more than a rubber stamp rather than a check on the technology's accuracy. This is why there are so many civilian deaths and Israel must be held accountable.
Technoskeptic narrative
Israel's use of AI in its brutal war in Gaza demonstrates the necessity of approaching technological development with caution. These dystopian programs acquire and kill targets with ruthless efficiency and little oversight. There must be a moratorium on AI-based technologies in war, as they're rapidly being used to commit unspeakable crimes.
