'The Gospel': Israel puts AI to work in selecting targets for attacks in war-torn Gaza

Artificial Intelligence, a man-made tool dreaded over the possibility of getting out of human control, seems to be in use by Israelis in its rampage against the Hamas militant group in Gaza, as per media reports citing Israeli defence officials. Israel's military has been conducting an intense bombing campaign on the Gaza Strip with a fresh spotlight on the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in its target selection for pounding territories in the besiegedregion. This is especially crucial as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) resumed its offensive against Hamas after the truce between the archrivals ended, even as nations are pushing for a further extension.

AI Platform - The Gospel

The IDF is reportedly using an AI platform dubbed "the Gospel" to accelerate target selection in Gaza. It has been described as a lethal production line resembling a "mass assassination factory," multiple media reports have pointed out.

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Details about the Gospel were attributed to interviews with intelligence sources and statements from the IDF and retired officials.

This new set of information also carries another revelation that suggested the involvement of a secretive AI-facilitated military intelligence unit as part of Israel's retaliation to the war with the Hamas militant group.

+972 Magazine while quoting a source who is not in support of this kind of practice said,“I remember thinking that it was like if [Palestinian militants] would bomb all the private residences of our families when [Israeli soldiers] go back to sleep at home on the weekend."

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The Guardian while quoting an unnamed White House official said that the use of AI in Israel's military operations and the use of automated systems on the battlefield will be watched by other states and "learning" will be taken from Israel's approach.

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A source with the +972 Magazine further revealed that a top Israeli intelligence officer, after Hamas' onslaught, directed his officers that the aim was to “kill as many Hamas operatives as possible."

The sources also said that there was no must-follow rule to avoid any Palestinian injury and things are quite flexible.

As per the said source, there are “cases in which we shell based on a wide cellular pinpointing of where the target is, killing civilians. This is often done to save time, instead of doing a little more work to get a more accurate pinpointing."

Even as reports of Israel's war by putting AI to work against targets in Gaza may be new, the Jewish nation is not unknown to it and has deployed such tech earlier. As per reports, the IDF has earlier claimed to have fought the “first AI war” during the 11-day war in Gaza in May 2021.

(With inputs from agencies)

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.