From Foreign Policy · Sharon Weinberger · · 1m 40s
AI Made the List, but Humans Still Did the Killing
Israeli soldiers in NAZA documentary reveal AI systems killed civilians in Gaza war.
In brief
Israeli soldiers in NAZA documentary reveal AI systems killed civilians in Gaza war. Israeli soldiers in NAZA documentary describe AI systems killing civilians in Gaza war despite claims of moral absolution. Originally reported by Foreign Policy.
NAZA documentary
Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor made a 80-minute film about IDF soldiers' role in Gaza war.
“The nearly 80-minute film takes us far away from the tiresome tech doomers”
AI systems in Gaza war
The film focuses on AI systems like Lavender and Where’s Daddy used in Israeli military operations.
“‘You have to trust the system,’ one soldier recalls an officer telling him”
Where’s Daddy system
Where’s Daddy uses children’s cellphones to track Hamas targets returning home.
“the resulting strikes would kill the suspected Hamas member but typically also his family”
Collateral damage
Israeli strikes killed up to 50 civilians per strike as collateral damage.
“the Israeli military sometimes knowingly allowed dozens of noncombatants to be killed”
Soldiers' moral responsibility
Soldiers feel responsible for civilian deaths despite AI systems absolving humans of moral choices.
“the humans who appear in NAZA clearly feel responsible”
Hamas attack impact
Hamas attack killed 1,200 people and abducted 251 others in October 2023.
“fighters from Hamas and other groups brutally killed some 1,200 people”
Israeli trauma
Soldiers describe hearing children's screams and seeing dogs eating dead bodies in Gaza.
“hearing the screams of children through his headphones as they were killed in airstrikes”
AI moral justification
AI systems give military a veneer of legitimacy while absolving humans of moral responsibility.
“AI gives soldiers a certain remove from decision-making and imbues systems with virtue”
Human responsibility
Israeli soldiers created system that killed extended families and destroyed hospitals in Gaza.
“Israelis, the victims of so much suffering, lost their moral core that day”
Civilian death toll
At least 74,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza war according to health authorities.
“the war has killed at least 74,000 Palestinians in Gaza”
AI's role in war
AI systems choose targets faster but don't avoid civilian deaths.
“there is so far no evidence that AI is better at selecting military targets and avoiding civilian deaths”
Hollywood comparison
Hollywood shows humans give AI power that leads to destruction.
“the real danger is not necessarily the computers devoid of empathy but the deluded humans who gave them that power”
AI's true impact
AI systems kill more people than humans could gather on their own.
“it may just spit out more names than humans could possibly gather on their own”
The headline
Israeli soldiers in NAZA documentary describe AI systems killing civilians in Gaza war despite claims of moral absolution.
