An investigation by The Washington Post has revealed that Google has been providing Israel’s Defence Ministry with advanced AI tools during the Gaza conflict.
After the war began on October 7, 2023, Google expedited access to its Vertex AI service for Israel’s military operations. Internal documents suggest that Google employees were concerned about losing out to competitors like Amazon if the company delayed granting access to its AI resources.
Read more: Amnesty International Declares Israel’s Gaza Offensive as Genocide
The documents from late 2023 and 2024 show ongoing efforts to provide Israel with advanced AI platforms, including Gemini AI technology for text and voice processing. However, the documents did not clarify how these AI tools were used or their direct role in military actions. These developments come amid protests by Google employees opposing the company’s involvement in the Nimbus cloud computing contract with Israel’s government.
Although Google has not officially commented on the allegations, the company’s provision of AI technology to Israel raises ethical concerns about the role of tech companies in warfare and the potential misuse of AI. In the meantime, the conflict in Gaza has caused severe destruction, with over 47,000 Palestinian casualties reported, and nearly the entire population of Gaza left homeless.
A ceasefire began recently, following the release of hostages by both Hamas and Israel, and the delivery of aid to Gaza. However, the ceasefire terms remain contentious, as hostilities were briefly resumed, and the humanitarian crisis continues to unfold.
