Iran's Attack on Israel, Project Nimbus Protests at Google, and the Moral Dangers of “War by Algorithm”

This week's big story follows the story from last week — on Saturday Iran launched a drone and missile attack on Israel. Only a fraction got through Israel’s air defence system.

After TIME released an article revealing that Google provides cloud computing services to the Israeli Ministry of Defense through Project Nimbus, the group No Tech for Apartheid organised protests in Google offices. 28 workers who were involved in the protests have been fired.

But first, before heading into the details of these stories and other news of the week, John Thornhill maps out the moral dangers of “War by Algorithm”— following the debate that Israel’s use of AI-enabled systems such as Lavender has provoked:

The Big Story

Iran’s Missile Attack on Israel

Following last week’s big story on Iran’s drone technology, Iran launched a large-scale overnight drone and missile attack on Israel on Saturday. More than 300 drones and missiles were launched in a layered onslaught, making it Iran’s largest-ever conventional show-of-force and a serious threat to any air defence system. Yet, 99% of the drones and missiles were intercepted.

Iranian drones made up the first wave of the attack, probably deployed to occupy air defences and allow more advanced munitions to get through. All the drones were shot down before entering Israeli airspace with help from US, British, and Jordanian forces.

The drones were followed by cruise and ballistic missiles, mainly defended by Israel’s air defence system. The multi-layered system is jointly developed with the US, and its Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 systems took out most of the ballistic missiles.

The attack has sparked debates and conversations about whether Iran was testing Israel’s air defence, or if they underestimated Israel “The number of munitions it took to repel the attack was enormous, costly, and could be difficult to replicate,” Tom Karako, the director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said to the Washington Post. “Israel may have gotten lucky and Iran may have gotten very unlucky.”

What is for sure is that Iranian military technology as well as missile defence systems software and hardware detection technology have improved rapidly. In 2002, MIT Technology Review published an article by Theodore A. Postol on “Why Missile Defence Won’t Work,” stating that “measuring temperature with this infrared equipment is not possible when objects in space are observed close to the earth.”

*Source: Washington Post, retrieved on 18/04/2024*

Google Employees Protest Against Project Nimbus and Get Fired

On Friday, April 12, TIME published an article revealing that Google provides cloud computing services to the Israeli Ministry of Defense through Project Nimbus. The article was based on a draft contract the reporters had gained access to.

On Tuesday, Google and Amazon workers, part of a group called No Tech for Apartheid, staged protests in Seattle, California, and New York City, including a sit-in at the office of Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian.

Nine employees were suspended and then arrested after the sit-ins, and 28 workers have been fired following investigations. A memosent to all Google employees by Chris Rackow, Google’s head of global security, stated that the employees had violated multiple company policies.

Google and Amazon are part of a $1.2 billion contract called Project Nimbus that provides cloud services and data centers to the Israeli government. The project, initiated in 2021, has incited protests from the start, with the group No Tech for Apartheid writing letters and staging protests. The tension increased since the Israel-Hamas war began in October.

Amazon also holds a Nimbus contract with Israel, and Amazon employees participated in the No Tech for Apartheid actions on Tuesday, but there have been no reports of Amazon workers being arrested or fired.

*Google’s New York City office. Source: No Tech For Apartheid, retrieved from Washinton Post on 18/04/2024.*

Other News

India-South Korea-US Trilateral Technology Cooperation

India, South Korea, and the United States are expanding their trilateral technology cooperation, focusing on critical technologies like semiconductors, AI, and biotechnology. This collaboration aims to enhance economic and security ties within the Indo-Pacific region, fostering innovation and addressing global challenges collaboratively.

Joint Press Statement for the 24th Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue

The 24th Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue highlighted key advancements in defense cooperation between the U.S. and South Korea, focusing on extended deterrence, modernizing alliance capabilities, and regional security cooperation. The dialogue emphasized the need for synchronized defense strategies and the integration of advanced technologies to bolster the combined defense posture against North Korean threats.

Read more at U.S. Department of Defense.

Electronic Warfare is Interfering with GPS in Areas of Gaza

Electronic warfare tactics employed in the Gaza conflict are causing significant GPS disruptions across the region, affecting everything from aviation safety to everyday mobile app functions. This strategy poses risks to both civil and military navigation, illustrating the broader implications of electronic warfare on modern technology.

US Blacklists Four Chinese Tech Apps for Assisting Military

The U.S. has blacklisted four Chinese technology companies accused of supplying AI chips to China's military. This action is part of broader U.S. efforts to prevent the misuse of American technology in enhancing China's military capabilities, highlighting ongoing geopolitical tensions between the two nations.

‘Wealth of Tech Talent’ Offers Refugees Path to Resettlement, Says Charity Chief

The chief of a major charity highlighted the significant contributions of the tech-savvy refugee community, advocating for their integration and utilization in global tech industries. This approach not only aids in resettlement but also taps into a valuable resource pool that can drive technological innovation and growth.