Major U.S. tech companies have significantly enhanced Israel’s ability to rapidly identify and target suspected militants in Gaza and Lebanon through increased use of artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing services. However, this technological support has coincided with a sharp rise in civilian casualties, raising concerns about the ethical implications of AI in modern warfare.
While private firms have long developed autonomous weapons for military use, Israel’s recent conflicts mark one of the first instances where commercial AI models from U.S. companies have been actively deployed in combat scenarios — technology originally not intended for life-and-death decisions.
The Israeli military employs AI to analyze vast amounts of intelligence, including intercepted communications and surveillance data, to track enemy movements. Following the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, Israel’s reliance on AI tools from Microsoft and OpenAI surged, according to an Associated Press investigation.
This investigation, based on internal documents and interviews with officials and tech employees, revealed how AI systems select targets and the risks of errors due to flawed data or algorithms.
Israel’s military, aiming to eliminate Hamas after the attack that left 1,200 dead and over 250 taken hostage, has hailed AI as crucial in accelerating target identification. Yet, the conflict has resulted in over 50,000 deaths in Gaza and Lebanon, with nearly 70% of Gaza’s infrastructure devastated, according to local health ministries.
“This is the first time we have confirmation that commercial AI models are being used directly in warfare,” said Heidy Khlaaf of the AI Now Institute. “This sets a dangerous precedent for the future use of technology in military operations.”
Tech Giants’ Deepening Involvement
Microsoft’s longstanding partnership with the Israeli military intensified post-October 7, as Israel’s war efforts strained its own resources, prompting greater reliance on external cloud services from Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, and Amazon Web Services. Israeli military data usage on Microsoft’s servers doubled from October 2023 to July 2024.
Despite Microsoft’s public commitment to human rights and safe AI practices, it declined to comment on its military contracts. OpenAI, whose models are accessed via Microsoft’s cloud platform, stated that while it does not partner directly with Israel’s military, its policy revisions now allow “national security use cases.”
Google and Amazon also provide AI and cloud services to Israel under “Project Nimbus,” a $1.2 billion contract, while companies like Cisco, Dell, IBM’s Red Hat, and Palantir Technologies support Israel’s defense infrastructure.
AI in Military Operations and Reliability Concerns
Israel’s Defense Forces utilize AI to process and cross-reference surveillance data, aiding in rapid target identification. However, concerns about the accuracy of AI-generated translations and data persist, with military officers acknowledging instances of errors leading to potential targeting mistakes.
While the military asserts that AI tools improve accuracy and reduce collateral damage, the human oversight process remains critical, especially when verifying machine-generated translations.
