The Future of AI Warfare Is Taking Place in Israel

Joseph Dana
4 min readAug 16, 2023
Israel’s Iron Dome system intercepts rockets launched from Gaza City, on May 10.Photographer: Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto/Getty Images

While the global debate about using artificial intelligence in warfare heats up, Israel has already been deploying it against the Palestinians. The Israeli army is using an advanced AI model called Fire Factory to select targets for airstrikes and handle other military logistics.

AI deployment is a significant shift in warfare and brings incredible new risks for civilian life. Perhaps most concerning is that Israel’s use of AI is developing beyond international or state-level regulations. The future of AI warfare is taking shape right now, and few have a say in how it develops.

According to Israeli officials, the AI programs in operation use large data sets to make decisions about targets, equipment, munition loads, and schedules. While these items might seem mundane, we must consider how Israel collects this information and the military’s track record in protecting civilian populations.

Israel has administered a total military occupation over Palestinian populations in the West Bank and Gaza since 1967. Every aspect of Palestinian life in these territories is overseen by the Israeli military, down to the amount of calories Gazans consume. As a result of its complex occupation infrastructure, Israel has compiled vast amounts of data on Palestinians. This data has been a vital fuel for the rise of Israel’s…

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