Defence Redefined

Published on 14/10/2023 at 16:21

The Israeli Army has an advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system, called the Fire Factory, in its hi-tech arsenal.

This is an advanced data-processing and decision-making system used to select airstrike targets and process data for various types of military logistics.

Therefore, in Israel, a field was created to develop artificial intelligence technologies for military applications using the West Bank and Gaza as “laboratories”. Throughout the Palestinian territories, Israel collects and analyzes data from drones, CCTV cameras, satellite imagery, electronic signals, online communications, and other platforms collected by the military.

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It is even rumored that the idea for Waze, the mapping software developed by Israeli military intelligence graduates and sold to Google for $1.1 billion in 2013, came from mapping software designed to track Palestinians in the West Bank.

It is clear that Israel has a series of artificial intelligence systems designed to control the Palestinian territories and their population. The Israeli military maintains that its artificial intelligence models do not operate autonomously, but are supervised by soldiers who make decisions about airstrikes or other missions.

Also read: France | Artificial intelligence with cameras and drones to monitor crowds

The military has also implicitly argued that its programs go beyond human analytical capabilities and thus minimize errors that can result in unanticipated casualties. Analysts worry that these semi-autonomous artificial intelligence systems could quickly become unsupervised autonomous systems with implications for decision-making and the use of violence against humans.

It should be noted that Israel’s use of artificial intelligence is evolving beyond international or other regulations, while the exact nature of the programs remains secret. In fact, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) called its 11-day assault on the Gaza Strip in 2021 the world’s first “AI war”.

What is certain is that the future of AI-enabled warfare is taking shape right now, and only a few have a say in how it unfolds.

With information from: Naftemporiki

Also read: Netherlands | International summit in the Hague to establish rules for the use of artificial intelligence in the military sector