IDF used artificial intelligence to expose Hamas commanders, says top IDF commander
During Operation “Guardian of the Walls” in 2021, the IDF was able to use its AI system to identify commanders of Hamas missile units, as well as other terrorists in Gaza
Col. Yoav during the conference. Photo: Dror Sithakol
Col. Yoav, commander of the Artificial Intelligence Center of Unit 8200, the elite IDF intelligence unit, revealed that during Operation “Guardian of the Walls” in 2021, the IDF was able to use its AI system to identify commanders of Hamas missile units, as well as other terrorists in Gaza.
Our data science and AI tools have significantly increased our ability to thwart terror attacks,” he said.
Speaking at the Tel Aviv University AI Week conference, Yoav added that “one of the most significant tools we have built and are operating today, is a system that knows how to locate dangerous people based on the input of a list of previously incriminated people. The system can complete this process within seconds – this is something that, in the past, would have taken weeks and required hundreds of investigators.”
The colonel also revealed that during the operation, IDF intelligence was able to create a bank of 200 new targets, using the AI tools built in Unit 8200. In addition, throughout the operation the unit managed to update and upgrade the system about 150 times, thereby upgrading the battlefield’s capabilities.
The new system joins previous IDF-developed AI systems, such as the “Alchemist” and the “Gospel.”