An investigation by The Washington Post has revealed that Google has supplied Israel’s military with artificial intelligence (AI) tools designed to enhance its defense capabilities. Evidence demonstrates ongoing support for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israel’s Defense Ministry, although the specific applications of these technologies within military operations remain ambiguous.
Documents from 2024 indicate that Google employees have observed an increased demand from the IDF for AI tools, particularly the Gemini AI platform, which is capable of creating AI assistants to manage various tasks such as processing documents and audio files. Furthermore, correspondence following October 7, 2023, highlights Israel’s intent to broaden its utilization of Google’s Vertex AI service, which integrates AI algorithms with user-sourced data.
Compounding the situation is the controversial Project Nimbus, a $1.22 billion cloud computing initiative involving both Google and Amazon as principal contractors, aimed at overhauling the Israeli government’s technology infrastructure. Israeli officials have hinted that this contract may extend to military applications, prompting reactions from human rights organizations and legal advocates. Groups like No Tech for Apartheid are urging employees at Google and Amazon to oppose the Nimbus project, claiming it could contribute to what they describe as the “genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.” Amidst these tensions, Google terminated the employment of at least 50 staff members last year who protested the company’s engagement with Israel, citing concerns that it might facilitate military and intelligence operations detrimental to civilians in Palestine.
Google insists that it is committed to preventing the harmful use of its technologies. The company claims to uphold international human rights standards through a dedicated human rights program that evaluates product compliance and allows employees to voice concerns regarding ethical implications.
In parallel, Israel’s military capabilities in AI have seen significant advancement, focusing on the analysis of surveillance imagery and target identification. As the Israel-Hamas conflict escalated, reports from The Washington Post indicate that the IDF has deployed an AI tool referred to as “Habsora” to identify thousands of potential human and infrastructural targets in Gaza. Habsora functions by analyzing intercepted communications along with satellite imagery to pinpoint potential military objectives such as rockets and subterranean tunnels.
A senior IDF official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that Israel has heavily invested in cloud computing technologies, frequently collaborating with U.S. firms. However, it remains uncertain whether Habsora itself was developed using commercial cloud services. The intersection of technology and military operations continues to generate significant ethical debate and scrutiny, particularly in relation to its implications for the ongoing conflict in the region.
