Israel’s top educational authorities suspended an artificial intelligence (AI) technology in state-religious education after reports surfaced that it failed to recognize Palestinian resistance movement’s slain Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar as a terrorist.
The move was announced by Israeli Minister of Education Yoav Kisch on Friday, February 28, citing “several complaints and reports regarding the issues that was noticed during its use”. The AI system was designed differently by integrating AI across all levels of the state-religious education framework to prepare students for a technological workforce.
The Israeli news outlet Israel’s Ynet news cited the Israeli minister’s statement, which was made in Hebrew, saying the suspension decision was made after school teachers, students, and parents complained that it contained “inappropriate images and content”.
AI response
The reports suggest that when inputs were given about an Israeli far-right settler, Baruch Goldstein, the system responded that he was a terrorist. Subsequently, when Yahya Sinwar’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, was asked about, it refused to answer, citing that the question was political.
“One of the central complaints, which also gained attention on social media, revolved around a conversation with the system. When asked if Baruch Goldstein was a terrorist, the system responded that his actions constituted an act of terrorism. However, when asked whether Yahya Sinwar’s actions on October 7 should also be considered terrorism, it refused to answer, citing that the question was political, Ynet news quoted Kisch.
In 1994, Israeli settler Baruch Goldstein killed 29 Palestinian Muslim worshippers there with an assault rifle before being beaten to death by survivors.
Israeli settlements are seen as illegal under international law and a major obstacle to peace, as they are built on land the Palestinians see as part of their future state. Today, around 800 Jewish settlers live under hefty Israeli army security in the city, surrounded by around 200,000 native Palestinians.
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