Big Tech Is Powering Israel's AI War Machine
From Gaza to now Iran and Lebanon, Israel is expanding its testing ground for AI-enabled military technology in terrifying ways.
Israel’s genocide in Gaza exposed how AI is changing warfare in terrifying and deadly ways. With the help of Big Tech, Israel, along with the US, is now expanding its use of AI in Iran and Lebanon, widening its testing ground for AI-enabled military technology – with more deadly consequences.
Israel has long been one of the world’s leading hubs for AI development. As of 2024, there were about 2,300 AI startups active in Israel, according to a report by Google Israel and RISE Israel, a technology think tank. Since then, that number has likely only risen as venture capitalists pour money into the industry. Roughly one quarter of all technology startups in Israel are AI companies, supported by billions of dollars in funding.
Tech giants have also deepened their relationships with Israel, tapping into their tech ecosystem to recruit talent and grow their businesses. Nvidia recently announced plans to build a massive tech campus in northern Israel that will be home to AI research and development projects, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has described Israel as the company’s “second home.”
All of this has happened as Israel assaults civilian populations in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, and Iran.
A new report from the International Institute for Strategic Studies (ISS), a think tank and leading authority on global security and military conflict, details exactly how heavily integrated AI is in Israel’s weapons systems and military operations.
According to the report, Israel has made significant investments to embed AI across its military tools and systems. These efforts range from the creation of an AI and Autonomy Administration within the Ministry of Defense’s Directorate of Defense Research & Development, to empowering the elite intelligence Unit 8200 to build out the Israeli military’s own AI capabilities.