UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his concerns on Friday regarding the use of artificial intelligence by the Israeli military in airstrikes on Gaza.
A recent report by the Israeli-Palestinian +972 Magazine revealed that the IDF has utilized AI to identify suspected Palestinian militants for targeted killings, even in densely populated residential areas, resulting in numerous civilian casualties.
The AI system, known as ‘Lavender,’ reportedly analyzes personal data of Gaza residents to create lists of individuals suspected of having ties to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). Guterres, during a press briefing at UN headquarters in New York, expressed deep distress over these reports, emphasizing that life and death decisions should not be left to algorithms.
He has long warned about the dangers of weaponizing AI and diminishing the importance of human agency, advocating for its use to benefit humanity rather than contributing to large-scale warfare and blurring accountability.
Although the Israeli military has not publicly acknowledged the existence of ‘Lavender,’ it has been known to employ similar systems in previous Gaza operations. In response to the +972 Magazine’s report, the IDF denied using an AI system to identify terrorists, stating that the mentioned “system” is merely a database used for cross-referencing intelligence sources.
The IDF emphasized in its statement that Hamas deliberately places its operatives and military assets among the civilian population, using them as human shields. Despite claiming to target only military sites, the IDF acknowledged the challenges of avoiding civilian casualties due to the high population density in the area.
According to the latest data from the Gazan health ministry, Israeli forces have reportedly caused the deaths of over 33,000 individuals, predominantly women and children, since the conflict began in October of the previous year. Secretary-General Guterres reiterated the UN’s urgent call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza to prevent further loss of life and alleviate the dire situation.
Guterres warned of the imminent threats of mass starvation, regional conflict, and a breakdown of global standards and norms if the situation is not addressed promptly. He urged all parties involved to halt the violence, alleviate the suffering, and prevent further escalation of the crisis.
