The ongoing wars of Israel-Hamas and Russia-Ukraine have shone light on the emerging use of artificial intelligence (AI) in military warfare, where the emerging technology is being used to scan civilian areas to “hunt” for combatants, often neglecting the collateral fatalities of innocents in AI-dependent military operations.
In that regard, multiple reports have suggested that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have been working on an AI project named “Operational Information Factory” that helps them filter raw audio, visual, and text data in the battlefield to bring its assessment regarding the presence of civilians and combatants in densely populated areas of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
According to a report in Israeli news media Haaretz, the AI technology has been assisting the IDF to make key decisions in military operations that include finding combatants in civilian areas, families of combatants, and payloads required to execute actions.
As per reports, the AI system being developed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is powerful but comes with risks. Many human rights activists have questioned whether AI as an emerging technology is adept enough to make critical decisions regarding the collateral damage involved in military operations.
On the battlefield, commanders might not always take the time to check the sources of the AI’s information, even though they’re supposed to. Such AI usage can create a problem because AI can sometimes make mistakes, and if AI is used in war, these mistakes could lead to life-or-death consequences.
The project is run by Matzpen, a software development unit within the IDF’s Lotem unit, which handles telecommunications and technology. Lotem is part of the IDF’s C4I Corps, which focuses on command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence.
The AI system was built with help from other IDF units, like Mamram (the central computer unit), the Digital Transformation Administration, and the Maof cyber unit. Matzpen also runs the IDF’s computer science school, trains programmers and software testers, and prepares information analysts who will help connect the AI system to commanders in the field.
The AI will also work with a system called MapIt, which shows operational information on a map. Soon, commanders will be able to see MapIt on a screen with all the key details they need to understand what’s happening in the field. They can ask the AI questions about military data and even connect it to public or civilian information to get a fuller picture.
The IDF is just starting to explore AI called “Agentic AI,” which can solve problems on its own without constant human guidance. They are focusing on how to use this, but they’ll need to carefully check its ethics and accuracy before fully adopting it.
Also Read: Killing Machines: Why We Need to Talk About AI use in Military
