As artificial intelligence (AI) spreads at an exponential rate, fears are growing about its potential to subjugate minds to machines and, more alarmingly, lead to the extinction of the human race at the hands of relentless robots.
This nightmarish vision of a future where armies will face off against robotic soldiers, impervious to fatigue, bullets and emotions during combat, is beginning to resonate with Israeli authorities.
AI: A Game Changer
“Artificial intelligence is not just a new invention, it is a force that radically changes the rules of the game,” said Israeli Defense Ministry Director General Eyal Zamir, speaking at the Defense Technology Summit at Tel Aviv University. He stressed that in the next 10 to 15 years, AI-powered robots will dominate the security and protection of land, sea and air territories, and will launch attacks against the aggressors. Zamir sees this development as a necessity for Israel in order to overcome the shortage of human cadres in the army after the losses suffered during the protracted conflicts in Gaza, followed by Lebanon and Syria.
Israel’s losses after one year in Gaza
The Israeli army commemorated the first anniversary of the attacks launched by the Hamas movement on October 7, 2023, by publishing data from government sources detailing its achievements in exchange for numerous material and human losses. These losses include:
– 726 Israeli soldiers killed.
– 4,576 soldiers wounded in combat.
– 56 soldiers died in accidents during operations.
– 300,000 reserve soldiers mobilized since the beginning of the war.
– About 10,000 soldiers undergoing psychological rehabilitation to recover from war trauma.
The use of AI in defense
The inventor of the Iron Dome missile defense system, Daniel Gold, revealed how the AI-backed “Arrow III” air defense system is being used to protect Israel’s national security. This demonstration was made during its first test of intercepting a missile launched from Yemen at a distance of more than 1,500 kilometers, according to Israel News.
Gold said that the Defense Ministry has collaborated with dozens of tech startups to improve wartime performance and build combat-ready robots, a field that is still mysterious and being explored globally.
A new era of war
Last September, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu highlighted the world’s shift to the technological wars of the future and the development of artificial intelligence industries in the military field. Nir Weingold, head of planning and information technology at the Ministry of Defense, believes that these trends are also spreading to the United States, where AI is used for intelligence, war robots or air defense systems to track missiles.
He added that the general trend in Israel is to bring AI to the field and provide technological capabilities to the battlefield, replacing humans.
This transition to AI-controlled wars raises critical ethical and societal questions, prompting reflection on the role of man in the face of the rise of machines. An essential reflection that is already drawing the face of a new era of conflicts and the use of technology in military operations.