Israel is making progress on developing its national artificial intelligence (AI) strategy and governance framework. In December 2023, the government published "Israel's Policy on Artificial Intelligence Regulation and Ethics," which proposes establishing an AI policy coordination center within the Ministry of Justice. This centre will provide guidance to regulators, foster inter-agency coordination, and represent Israel in international AI forums.
The policy maintains a "soft regulation" approach, relying heavily on ethical guidelines and self-regulation by industry. However, some critics argue this approach may be insufficient to address the potential risks of AI technologies.
Israel has embraced a collaborative approach in developing its AI policy. The government held a public consultation period on the draft policy in late 2022. The Israeli Democracy Institute provided comments, arguing for more enforceable regulations and clear "red lines" to prevent potential abuses of AI technology.
The policy calls for establishing two forums to enhance stakeholder engagement: an inter-agency forum of regulators and experts, and a multi-stakeholder forum including industry, academia, and civil society representatives.
Israel has a well-established data protection framework, including the 1981 Privacy Protection Law and subsequent regulations. The Privacy Protection Authority (PPA) is the primary regulator for privacy and data security matters.
In recent years, the PPA has issued guidance on AI-related issues, including:
- Interpretation of the right to information for AI-based decision-making systems
- Privacy considerations for telemedicine and AI-based diagnostic services
- Privacy implications of deepfake technologies
However, Israel has faced controversy over the use of surveillance technologies, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic when the government authorised the use of mobile phone tracking by security agencies to monitor quarantine compliance and perform contact tracing.
The issue of algorithmic transparency has gained attention in Israel, with the PPA clarifying that the right to information applies to AI-based systems. However, concerns have been raised about the lack of transparency in some government-operated AI systems, such as an AI-based profiling system used by police to identify potential drug smugglers at airports.
Israel has implemented facial recognition technologies in various contexts, including:
- Border control
- A national biometric database for ID cards
- Military checkpoints in the West Bank
The use of facial recognition in military contexts has drawn criticism from human rights organisations. In 2022, the Minister of Justice opposed a police initiative to operate facial recognition cameras in public spaces.
Israel is known for developing advanced military AI technologies, including defensive systems like the Iron Dome and offensive capabilities like autonomous drones. The country has participated in UN discussions on lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS) but has not supported calls for their prohibition.
In November 2023, the Israel Defense Forces revealed the use of an AI target-creation platform called Habsora in the Gaza-Israel conflict. This system uses AI to generate potential military targets, raising concerns about the ethical implications and potential for civilian harm.
Israel has endorsed the OECD AI Principles and participates in international AI initiatives, including the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence. The country also joined the Bletchley Declaration on AI safety in November 2023, committing to international cooperation on responsible AI development.
However, Israel's human rights record has faced scrutiny, particularly in relation to the ongoing conflict with Palestinians and the use of AI technologies in military operations.
This country report is our interpretation and summary of the "CAIDP Artificial Intelligence & Democratic Values Index 2023". The full report can be found here - https://www.caidp.org/reports/aidv-2023