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The Israeli military has employed technologies and weapons powered by artificial intelligence (AI) in operations in Gaza since 2023. While AI proponents often argue that these tools enhance precision and reduce civilian harm, in practice, AI can merely give an impression of precision and objectivity that reinforces policies and targeting practices already in place or aligned with existing preferences. AI systems such as Israel’s ‘Lavender’, which identifies individuals as potential Hamas operatives based on broad criteria, do not automatically result in more ethical or accurate targeting. Rather, they appear to support and accelerate established military approaches. The Israeli military has accepted significant civilian casualties – sometimes exceeding 100 fatalities – to target a single Hamas commander identified through AI processes. This suggests that the core issue is not AI itself causing mass casualties, but how AI-generated targets are conformed to human decisions.
Anwar Mhajne (Wed,) studied this question.