Middle EastTechnology

Google Supporting Israel With AI Tools for Military Use: Report

Google has provided Israel’s military with artificial intelligence (AI) tools, according to an investigation by The Washington Post.

The report found that while data confirms ongoing AI support for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israel’s Defense Ministry, it remains unclear how these technologies are being used or how they contribute to military operations.

Records from 2024 indicate that Google employees noticed a rise in IDF access requests for AI tools, including the Gemini AI platform, which can generate AI assistants to process documents and audio.

Additionally, documents from after October 7, 2023, reveal that Israel sought to expand its use of Google’s Vertex AI service, which applies AI algorithms to user data.

Project Nimbus Controversy

A Google employee warned in a document that delaying expanded access could push the Israeli military toward Amazon, Google’s cloud rival.

Google and Amazon are both key contractors under Israel’s $1.22-billion Project Nimbus, a cloud computing deal aimed at modernizing the country’s government technology.

Israeli officials have stated that the contract could also include services for the military, according to The Washington Post.

Human rights groups and legal experts, including the activist group No Tech for Apartheid, have urged Google and Amazon employees to oppose Nimbus, warning that it could enable “the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.”

Last year, Google fired at least 50 employees who protested the company’s contract with Israel, arguing that it could support military and intelligence programs harming civilians in Palestine.

Google maintains that it avoids harmful uses of technology. The company’s human rights program reviews products for compliance with international standards and allows employees to raise concerns.

Israel’s AI Tools

Israel’s military has been expanding its AI capabilities to analyze surveillance imagery and identify targets.

Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, the IDF has used an AI tool known as “Habsora” to generate thousands of human and infrastructure targets in Gaza, according to The Washington Post.

Habsora analyzes intercepted communications and satellite imagery to locate potential military targets, including rockets and tunnels.

A senior IDF official, speaking anonymously to The Washington Post, confirmed that Israel has invested heavily in cloud technologies and computing systems, often in collaboration with US companies.

It remains unclear whether Habsora was developed using commercial cloud services.

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