(Bloomberg) — United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he’s “deeply troubled” by reports that Israel used artificial intelligence in its military campaign in Gaza, saying the practice puts civilians at risk and blurs accountability.
“No part of life-and-death decisions which impact entire families should be delegated to the cold calculation of algorithms,” Guterres told reporters Friday. “AI should be used as a force for good to benefit the world, not to contribute to waging war on an industrial level, blurring accountability.”
The military use of AI has emerged as a growing concern as powers including the US and China rush to incorporate it into their armed forces.
The Israeli military has said it has relied on new technologies in its campaign to wipe out Hamas since the Oct. 7 attacks by the militant group, which killed 1,200 people and saw 250 abducted. Israel’s retaliation campaign has since then left 32,000 Palestinians dead, according to the health ministry run by Hamas, which is designated a terrorist organization by the US and European Union.
In a story on April 3, the Tel Aviv-based +972 Magazine reported that Israel was using an artificial-intelligence program called “Lavender” to come up with assassination targets. The report, which Israel has disputed, said the AI system had played a “central role in the unprecedented bombing of Palestinians.”
Guterres’ remarks come on the heels of the decision by Israel to dismiss two officers over a missile strike that killed seven aid workers earlier this week, in what it described as a “grave mistake stemming from a serious failure.” Israel hasn’t indicated whether AI was used in that attack.
The United Nations General Assembly adopted last month a nonbinding resolution to promote “safe, secure and trustworthy” artificial intelligence systems. The US-led proposal, which was cosponsored by more than 110 countries including China, didn’t cover the military use of AI.
Asked earlier if the Biden administration would raise military uses of AI at the Security Council, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the US didn’t have “any intention” of doing so. She said the resolution “lays down the foundation” for how to address AI going forward.
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