Habsora (AI targeting system)
Habsora (Hebrew: הבשורה), also known as "The Gospel," is an artificial intelligence (AI)-based targeting system developed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).[1] It is designed to rapidly generate targets for airstrikes, primarily focusing on buildings and structures that the IDF claims are used by militants.[2] The system has been used extensively in the 2023 Israel-Hamas war, where it has played a significant role in the IDF's targeting process.[1]
Development and Functionality[edit | edit source]
Habsora was developed by Unit 8200, the IDF's signals intelligence division, under the leadership of Yossi Sariel.[1] The system is built atop hundreds of predictive algorithms and allows soldiers to query a vast trove of data known as "the pool".[1] This data includes information from intercepted communications, satellite footage, and social networks.[1]
The algorithms in Habsora analyze the collected data to identify the coordinates of tunnels, rockets, and other military targets.[1] The system can also use image recognition to unearth subtle patterns, such as changes in satellite footage suggesting the presence of buried rocket launchers or newly dug tunnels.[1] According to a former military leader who worked on the system, Habsora can compress a week's worth of work into 30 minutes.[1]
Recommendations generated by Habsora are reviewed by intelligence analysts and, if they survive vetting, are placed in the target bank by a senior officer.[1] The IDF claims that an officer is required to sign off on any recommendations from its "big data processing" systems, and that these tools do not make decisions autonomously.[1]
Use in the 2023 Israel-Hamas War[edit | edit source]
Habsora has been extensively used in the 2023 Israel-Hamas war. In a press release on November 2, 2023, the IDF announced that Habsora had helped it bomb 12,000 targets in Gaza.[1] The system enabled a "first-of-its-kind collaboration" in which intelligence from the AI target factory was fed in real time to forces on the ground, in the air, and at sea, allowing hundreds of attacks to be "carried out in an instant."[1]
According to intelligence sources, the use of Habsora and other AI systems like Lavender allowed the IDF to significantly accelerate its targeting process, hitting roughly two targets per minute at the height of the bombing campaign.[1] Some soldiers reported that they were required to vet recommended targets from Habsora and Lavender, a process that could take anywhere from three minutes to five hours.[1]
Controversies and Criticisms[edit | edit source]
The use of Habsora and other AI systems in the 2023 Israel-Hamas war has been highly controversial. Critics argue that the reliance on AI has led to an increase in civilian casualties, as the systems are known to have a margin of error and have been used to authorize strikes with a high number of anticipated civilian deaths.[1][3]
Concerns have also been raised about the lack of human oversight in the targeting process, with some intelligence officers admitting to spending only around 20 seconds reviewing each target before authorizing a strike.[3][2] This has led to accusations that the IDF is operating a "mass assassination factory" with minimal regard for international law and humanitarian principles.[2]
See Also[edit | edit source]
- Israeli military use of AI and facial recognition
- Lavender (AI targeting system)
- Where's Daddy (AI targeting system)
- Unit 8200
- Yossi Sariel
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 Dwoskin, Elizabeth (December 29, 2024). "Israel built an 'AI factory' for war. It unleashed it in Gaza". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Sophia Goodfriend (April 25, 2024). "Why human agency is still central to Israel's AI-powered warfare". +972 Magazine. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Yuval Abraham (April 3, 2024). "'Lavender': The AI machine directing Israel's bombing spree in Gaza". +972 Magazine. Retrieved December 30, 2024.