The Washington Post revealed, based on internal documents, that Google has provided advanced artificial intelligence technologies to the occupation forces since the start of the war on Gaza on October 7, 2023. Despite public attempts to distance itself from Israeli security institutions, the report highlighted Google's direct support for the Israeli security system, amid employee protests.
The documents showed that the occupation authorities expanded their use of Google’s “Vertex” platform, which applies AI algorithms to databases for pattern analysis and predicting future trends. This technology enhances military capabilities and enables faster data processing.
A Google employee warned that if the company limited access to these technologies, the occupation forces might turn to Amazon, a major competitor in cloud computing and AI services.
Project “Nimbus,” a cloud computing contract signed in 2021 by the Israeli government with Google and Amazon, was designed to provide advanced services, including artificial intelligence, to government institutions and the military. Google previously claimed the contract does not support sensitive or classified military applications, but the *Washington Post* noted it is unclear how the occupation forces used Google’s AI tools.
At the same time, Gaby Portnoy, head of the Israeli National Cyber Directorate, disclosed during a 2022 conference that Nimbus contributed directly to combat operations. He stated that public cloud computing enabled “extraordinary things during combat,” playing a significant role in achieving military objectives, though he refrained from providing further details.
The involvement of major tech companies like Google and Amazon in such contracts continues to raise ethical concerns, particularly regarding their role in supporting military operations and the ongoing protests from employees and human rights advocates against their collaboration with the Israeli government.
Source : Safa News
