After the attacks by Hamas on October 7, 2023, Google started selling its AI technology to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israeli defense ministry.
Internal documents reviewed by the Washington Post show that a Google employee in its cloud division pushed for more access to AI tools for the defense ministry shortly after the attacks. This employee warned that the IDF might switch to Amazon if Google did not comply with their request.
In mid-November 2023, the same employee expressed gratitude to a colleague for helping with the defense ministry’s request, although the documents do not specify the exact applications of the AI technology.
AI’s role in military operations isn’t new. The Washington Examiner noted that U.S. military intelligence has been using AI to identify enemy positions in real-time.
Later documents from spring and summer 2024 show continued requests from Google employees for more access to AI technology for the defense ministry.
These developments come on the heels of protests from Google employees regarding Project Nimbus. This project, launched in 2021, was a partnership between Google, Amazon, and the Israeli government to provide cloud computing and AI support. Google has claimed that their involvement does not relate to sensitive military operations.
Despite this claim, Google reportedly fired over 50 employees who raised concerns about Project Nimbus being used in ways that could harm Palestinian civilians.
Interestingly, at a conference last year, Gaby Portnoy, head of the Israeli government’s National Cyber Directorate, hinted that Project Nimbus was indeed aiding combat efforts. He stated, “Thanks to the Nimbus public cloud, phenomenal things are happening during the fighting, these things play a significant part in the victory.”
In response to the ongoing conflict, the IDF has utilized an AI system named Habsora to identify thousands of targets for attacks.
Last summer, as Google expanded AI access for the IDF, a group of over 100 employees reached out to company management and the human rights team to request a review of these military collaborations.
Recent documents show that as late as November 2024, Israel’s military continued to use Google’s AI technology.
The Washington Examiner has sought comments from Google regarding these issues.
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