Post: Google Supplied AI to Israeli Military Following Hamas Attack “`

Google reportedly expedited the provision of AI technology to outpace Amazon.

Internal Google documents obtained by the Washington Post reveal that Google collaborated with the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) on AI services, beginning shortly after the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. This collaboration intensified as the conflict unfolded.

The Post reports that, following the Hamas attack and Israel’s subsequent military response, Google employees directly facilitated IDF access to AI tools. This occurred despite Google’s public statements distancing itself from Israel’s military actions.

Internal documents show a Google cloud employee escalated IDF requests for AI technology, expressing concern that refusal might drive the IDF to Amazon for cloud services. A November 2023 document acknowledges the handling of an IDF request, and further requests followed in subsequent months.

This activity follows the dismissal of over 50 Google employees who protested Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion cloud computing contract between Google and Amazon and the Israeli government signed in 2021. The contract involved building data centers in Israel and providing cloud services to various government entities.

Protesters raised concerns about human rights violations by the Israeli military and intelligence agencies in Gaza, demanding transparency regarding the technology’s use and fearing its potential contribution to harm against Palestinian civilians.

The Israeli military’s investment in AI capabilities, particularly for surveillance and target identification, has been increasing for years, according to the Post. A senior IDF official stated last year that the military had significantly invested in cloud technology and computing systems, often through partnerships with US companies.

Gaby Portnoy, head of Israel’s National Cyber Directorate, suggested at a conference that Project Nimbus directly aided IDF combat applications, stating that “Due to the Nimbus public cloud, phenomenal things happen in combat, which constitute a significant part of victory – and I won’t go into detail,” according to People and Computers.

While the documents don’t explicitly detail the AI technology’s use in Israel’s military operations, the Post notes that November 2024 documents indicate Google’s continued provision of AI to the IDF during heightened airstrikes on Gaza, potentially impacting civilian casualties.