“Israeli AI Companies Exploit Gaza and West Bank for Profit
Israeli artificial intelligence (AI) companies have not only achieved substantial financial gains since their inception but have also chosen to use the residents of Gaza and the West Bank as unwitting subjects for testing their developed programs.
An illustrative instance is the application ‘Waze,’ created by Israeli military intelligence graduates in 2013. This app, initially trialed on the West Bank population, was subsequently acquired by Google for a staggering $1.3 billion later that same year.
The integration of AI systems into the Israeli army took place in 2019, marked by the establishment of a novel center with the goal of harnessing artificial intelligence to expedite target identification processes. Aviv Kochavi, the former Chief of Staff of the Israeli Defense Forces, shared in a comprehensive interview with Ynet, “The new section for target identification is a unit comprising hundreds of officers and soldiers, relying on the capabilities of artificial intelligence.”
One of the unit’s early creations was the Fire Factory program, designed for target identification, determination of suitable ammunition quantities, and suggesting a timetable for airstrikes, all while maintaining the condition of no more than five civilian casualties per operation.
In 2021, during the testing phase of Fire Factory, the Israeli army characterized the 11-day Gaza bombardment as the world’s first “artificial intelligence war,” emphasizing the program’s role in target identification and the deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles.
Despite Israel’s claims about the precision of these systems, the ongoing conflicts have underscored the warned dangers associated with integrating AI systems into weapons and deploying them in warfare.
Catherine Connolly, a researcher at the Stop Killer Robots group, commented, “Any alteration in the software can transform these systems and weapons from semi-autonomous to fully autonomous decision-makers.”
Similarly, Anthony Loewenstein, an independent journalist and author of “The Laboratory Palestinian,” who resided in East Jerusalem from 2016 to 2020, remarked, “The assertion of AI was initially about targeting individuals more effectively, but the targeting we witness lacks any precision; numerous civilians are losing their lives. Gaza has witnessed the destruction of one-third of its homes. This is far from precise targeting.”
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