Microsoft has acknowledged it has supplied AI technology to the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD) but has stated it “found no evidence” the technology had been used to “target or harm people in the conflict in Gaza”.
Microsoft published a statement last week, where it admitted to providing IMOD with “software, professional services, Azure cloud services, and Azure AI services, including language translation”. It added: “As with many governments around the world, we also work with the Israeli government to protect its national cyberspace against external threats”.
The statement follows reports of Israel using AI in its conflict in Gaza, which has resulted in thousands of Palestinian deaths. As reported by The Guardian last year, the Israeli military employed its own AI system, called Lavender, with intelligence sources claiming Israeli military officials permitted large numbers of Palestinian civilians to be killed.
As Microsoft has now acknowledged, there were concerns from its employees and the public regarding the use of its Azure and AI technologies by the Israeli military. In response, it has conducted an internal review, alongside an external firm the company has omitted to name.