Media reports: Microsoft and AI enhanced IDF's military actions in Gaza
According to a report from The Guardian, leaked documents reveal that Microsoft granted Israel access to cloud and AI services amid its Gaza campaign. Read Full Article at RT.com.
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According to leaked documents, Israel’s military heavily utilized Microsoft technology during its campaign against Hamas in Gaza, as reported by The Guardian on Thursday. The Israeli government has faced ongoing accusations of war crimes and indiscriminate attacks on civilians in the area.
Following Hamas's surprise assault on Israel in October 2023, Microsoft significantly strengthened its relationship with Israel’s defense sector, as revealed by investigations conducted by +972 Magazine and the Local Call Hebrew-language website. These reports were based on commercial records from the Israeli Defense Ministry and documents from Microsoft's Israeli subsidiary.
As part of this collaboration, Microsoft reportedly offered Israel extensive technical support, providing thousands of hours of assistance alongside increased computing and storage services.
Reports indicate that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) utilized Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform across various military branches, including air, ground, and naval units, with the technology aiding combat and intelligence efforts.
Furthermore, the Israeli Air Force’s Ofek unit is said to have employed Microsoft’s communication tools to oversee “target banks” for potential military operations.
The leaked documents also claimed that through Microsoft, the Israeli military gained substantial access to OpenAI’s GPT-4 model. The technology was purportedly essential in maintaining the “Rolling Stone” system used by security forces to track Palestinian movements in the West Bank and Gaza.
The investigation revealed a 60% increase in the IDF’s cloud service usage in the first six months of the conflict with Hamas compared to the preceding months. Between October 2023 and June 2024, Israel secured a contract for 19,000 hours of support services from Microsoft, generating approximately $10 million in fees for the tech company.
Additionally, the findings suggested that many AI services were used in an isolated manner, potentially for highly sensitive military operations due to their separation from the internet.
Neither the IDF nor Microsoft commented on the specifics of the reports, while OpenAI stated that it does not cooperate with the Israeli military, as noted by The Guardian.
The ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict has led to over 1,700 Israeli and 47,000 Palestinian casualties, according to officials from both sides.
In the wake of Israel's military actions in Gaza, there have been persistent allegations of war crimes, with Amnesty International characterizing those actions as “genocide,” and the International Criminal Court issuing arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The Israeli government has dismissed these allegations, maintaining that its military operations are carried out in self-defense.
Recently, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire that includes the gradual release of hostages held in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners, aimed at facilitating Israel's withdrawal from the area.
Sanya Singh contributed to this report for TROIB News
Following Hamas's surprise assault on Israel in October 2023, Microsoft significantly strengthened its relationship with Israel’s defense sector, as revealed by investigations conducted by +972 Magazine and the Local Call Hebrew-language website. These reports were based on commercial records from the Israeli Defense Ministry and documents from Microsoft's Israeli subsidiary.
As part of this collaboration, Microsoft reportedly offered Israel extensive technical support, providing thousands of hours of assistance alongside increased computing and storage services.
Reports indicate that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) utilized Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform across various military branches, including air, ground, and naval units, with the technology aiding combat and intelligence efforts.
Furthermore, the Israeli Air Force’s Ofek unit is said to have employed Microsoft’s communication tools to oversee “target banks” for potential military operations.
The leaked documents also claimed that through Microsoft, the Israeli military gained substantial access to OpenAI’s GPT-4 model. The technology was purportedly essential in maintaining the “Rolling Stone” system used by security forces to track Palestinian movements in the West Bank and Gaza.
The investigation revealed a 60% increase in the IDF’s cloud service usage in the first six months of the conflict with Hamas compared to the preceding months. Between October 2023 and June 2024, Israel secured a contract for 19,000 hours of support services from Microsoft, generating approximately $10 million in fees for the tech company.
Additionally, the findings suggested that many AI services were used in an isolated manner, potentially for highly sensitive military operations due to their separation from the internet.
Neither the IDF nor Microsoft commented on the specifics of the reports, while OpenAI stated that it does not cooperate with the Israeli military, as noted by The Guardian.
The ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict has led to over 1,700 Israeli and 47,000 Palestinian casualties, according to officials from both sides.
In the wake of Israel's military actions in Gaza, there have been persistent allegations of war crimes, with Amnesty International characterizing those actions as “genocide,” and the International Criminal Court issuing arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The Israeli government has dismissed these allegations, maintaining that its military operations are carried out in self-defense.
Recently, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire that includes the gradual release of hostages held in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners, aimed at facilitating Israel's withdrawal from the area.
Sanya Singh contributed to this report for TROIB News
