Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by CommieBobDole 812 days ago
It's also interesting (and I guess typical for end-users of software) how quickly and easily something like this goes from "Here's a tool you can use as an information input when deciding who to target" to "I dunno, computer says these are the people we need to kill, let's get to it".

In the Guardian article, an IDF spokesperson says it exists and is only used as the former, and I'm sure that's what was intended and maybe even what the higher-ups think, but I suspect it's become the latter.

5 comments

I read that article and feel your interpretation is very misleading/wrong.

The Guardian article makes it clear prior to those denials that those higher-up appear to not to care how accurate it is and appear to be making a conscious choice to accept the fact it is highly flawed on the basis that it might kill some of whom they would legitimately claim as valid targets.

It's clear from the operational details discussed in the article the critical target number is largely number of kills, regardless of whether they are any actual material threat, or not.

Cull predominantly the male population and their family members, not assassinate active threats is the overall impression I got of the Israeli strategy.

I must add that anyone claiming the use of AI and inference models in this way is in anyway justifiable needs to seek help. The claim of 90% accuracy is almost certainly over claiming by over 100%.

20 second turnaround from target acquisition to strikes seems to guarantee it's become the latter.
Do you have enough military experience to say this? Or are you just guessing?

I’ll guarantee that it’s the latter.

I'm guessing the point they're making is that there's no human in the loop, which can confidently be claimed, even without military experience.
I'd bet there is a human in the loop, but the human isn't informed. Ie. "Your job is to press this button whenever that red light comes on".
There is testimony to that exact occurrence in the article in the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/03/israel-gaza-ai...

Quote: "I would invest 20 seconds for each target at this stage, and do dozens of them every day. I had zero added-value as a human, apart from being a stamp of approval. It saved a lot of time.”

"I'm sure that's what was intended"

Intended by who? You don't kill 13,000 children by accident.

Ideally, that would be "Computer says we shouldn't kill these people, let's not".
It’s a very powerful drug to be able to shrug your shoulders and say you were just doing as you were told.