The Israeli Experience with AI-Enabled Targeting Systems
The operational experience of Israel provides one of the most advanced examples of how artificial intelligence is being integrated into military targeting processes. Over the past decade, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have experimented with AI systems designed to accelerate the identification and prioritization of targets in high-intensity conflicts, particularly in Gaza and Lebanon. These systems, such as Gospel and, more recently, Lavender, have been presented as force multipliers capable of processing vast amounts of intelligence data—satellite imagery, UAV feeds, signals from mobile phones—and producing actionable lists of targets at speeds that exceed human analytical capacity. The rationale is straightforward: by automating the early stages of data analysis, the IDF can increase the throughput of targets and exploit fleeting opportunities before adversaries adapt. Yet this approach has raised complex questions about accuracy, accountability, and the human role in warfare. While these systems are not fully autonomous, they represent a significant reconfiguration of how decisions about life and death are generated and validated on the battlefield.