Yossi Sariel
Yossi Sariel is the current commander of Unit 8200, the Israeli military's signals intelligence division.[1] He has been a key figure in the transformation of the IDF's intelligence capabilities, particularly in the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and data-mining technologies for military applications.[1] Sariel has announced plans to step down from his position in the IDF in the wake of increased scrutiny of the intelligence failures that led to the Oct. 7 attack.[1]
Career and Role in Unit 8200[edit | edit source]
Sariel assumed command of Unit 8200 in 2020, after having spent a sabbatical year at the National Defense University in Washington, where he developed his vision for the integration of AI into national security and the battlefield.[1] Under his leadership, Unit 8200 underwent a significant restructuring, with an increased emphasis on engineers and data scientists, who made up 60 percent of the unit's employees by Oct. 7, 2023.[1]
Sariel championed the development of AI-driven systems for intelligence gathering and target generation, including the Habsora ("the Gospel") and Lavender systems.[1] He oversaw the reorganization of intelligence efforts into what were referred to as "AI factories" located in a newly created "targets center" at the Nevatim Airbase.[1]
Vision for AI in Warfare[edit | edit source]
Sariel is the author of the book "The Human-Machine Team: How to Create Synergy Between Human and Artificial Intelligence That Will Revolutionize Our World," published under the pen name "Brigadier General Y.S."[2][1] In the book, he outlines his vision for the use of AI in national security, arguing that AI could be used to analyze vast amounts of data to predict the actions of lone-wolf terrorists and to build advanced "target banks" containing the names, locations, and behavior patterns of thousands of suspects.[1]
Sariel's vision extended to the concept of "smart borders", where AI surveillance technologies would be used to monitor and control Israel's borders.[1] He also believed that AI could replace 80 percent of intelligence analysts specializing in foreign languages within five years.[1]
Controversies and Criticisms[edit | edit source]
Sariel's leadership and the increasing reliance on AI within Unit 8200 have been met with criticism and controversy. Some former senior commanders have expressed concerns about what they described as a "religious attitude toward AI" developing within the unit under Sariel's tenure.[1] Critics argue that the emphasis on technology has eroded the unit's "culture of warning," where even low-level analysts could previously brief top commanders about concerns.[1]
The use of AI systems like Habsora and Lavender in the 2023 Israel-Hamas war has been particularly controversial, with some arguing that these systems have contributed to the high number of civilian casualties.[1][2] There have been reports of the IDF authorizing the killing of up to 15 or 20 civilians for every junior Hamas operative marked by Lavender, and over 100 civilians for senior Hamas officials.[2]
See Also[edit | edit source]
- Unit 8200
- Israeli military use of AI and facial recognition
- Habsora (AI Targeting System)
- Lavender (AI Targeting System)
- ↑ 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 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 Yuval Abraham (April 3, 2024). "'Lavender': The AI machine directing Israel's bombing spree in Gaza". +972 Magazine. Retrieved December 30, 2024.