Israel’s secret ‘Lavender’ AI used for Gaza kill lists, report claims
Israel is using secret AI software to create kill lists in Gaza, according to an Israeli media investigation citing military intelligence sources.
The investigation from +972 Magazine and Local Call found that the program named “Lavender” used broad parameters to identify potential targets, designating about 37,000 people for potential air strikes.
The program uses machine learning to identify characteristics of militants and assigned people a score of 1-100, according to military sources, based on factors including association with suspected militants and frequently changing their phone.
Lavender was subject to minimal oversight, the investigation found, with targeting decisions typically approved in about 20 seconds. Commanders accepted an “error” rate of about 10 per cent, sources said. “We only checked that it was a man,” one soldier said.
The program, which identifies low-level suspects as well as high-value targets, was supplemented by other pieces of software. One tool called “Where’s Daddy” was reportedly used to track suspects, with many assassinations carried out at their homes.
