The Israel Defense Forces are using artificial intelligence systems in their military operations. Hindustan Times reported the IDF uses them to select air strike targets and facilitate wartime logistics. Also, it said the military resorted to the latest technologies to handle rising tensions in occupied territories and hostile Iran.
Militaries have always adopted the latest technologies throughout history. For example, we’ve gone from shooting arrows to firing bullets to dropping bombs from the sky. Consequently, modern soldiers will inevitably apply AI to their munitions.
Soon, your military may employ similar technologies on the battlefield. Let’s discuss a modern example of combat AI innovation by discussing Israel’s latest project. Then, I will cover opinions from various experts regarding this issue.
What is the purpose of Israel’s AI?
Hindustan Times reported the IDF calls its latest tool the Fire Factory. As mentioned, it organizes air raids but has numerous other functions.
The AI system “calculates appropriate munition loads, prioritizes targets, assigns them to aircraft and drones, and proposes a schedule.” In other words, it counts how many bullets and bombs an air strike requires.
Fire Factory chooses which locations to bomb first, assigns them to aircraft, and schedules their operation. Moreover, the news outlet reported when Israel applied its AI to a real battlefield.
HT said military officials allegedly suggested employing it in periodic conflicts in the Gaza Strip. In 2021, the IDF reportedly called the conflict the world’s first “AI war.”
The AI system identified rocket launchpads and deployed drone swarms. Colonel Uri, head of the IDF’s digital transformation unit, emphasized the benefits of AI.
According to Hindustan Times, he said, “What used to take hours now takes minutes, with a few more minutes for human review. With the same amount of people, we do much more.”
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Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett explained the significance of the Israel AI system to Fox News Digital. “The future of defense systems and of military will rely heavily on artificial intelligence,” he said.
“I’m talking about the analysis of massive data in intelligence. I’m talking about operating drones and other types of automatic and autonomous robots. Any country who seeks to be strong has to develop now an AI strategy,” the former head of state added.
“This is the time where we need to organize ethics structure, a legal structure, society-related structure, to ensure that AI [will be] used for the benefit of people and not the detriment. AI is, I would say, the biggest game changer of the next 20, 30 years.”
What are the risks of military AI?
Photo Credit: britannica.com
Fox News Digital shared opposing views from Tal Mimran and LIor Weinstein of the Tachlhit Institute for Israeli Policy. They said the rush to embrace artificial intelligence is “premature.”
The experts believe using this technology requires “more prudence.” Mimran told FND, “Clarity is crucial. The tendency to lean on AI is obvious, as such a tool can calculate in a few seconds something that humans will need weeks to do, if at all.”
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“Yet, so long as AI tools are not explainable, in the sense that we cannot fully understand why they reached a certain conclusion, how can we justify to ourselves to trust the AI decision when human lives are at stake?”
“Who should be responsible for the decision? In this current state of affairs, there is no benchmark to follow, as states are still trying to grasp and regulate tools like intrusive software or malware, let alone AI-based ones, given the pace of developments in the digital sphere.”
Conclusion
An Israeli AI system helps military operations by facilitating strategic planning. The Israel Defense Forces praise its effectiveness, while others warn of its potential risks.
Nevertheless, we must assume that militaries worldwide will implement artificial intelligence in some form or another. Thus, our countries must prepare for such a scenario.
This technology is expanding to other parts of daily life, so you must also understand it. Start by reading the latest digital tips and trends at Inquirer Tech.