Israel installs 'AI Robot Machine Gun' at Checkpoints, "Technical Errors Could Cost Many Lives"

Concerns Over Accidental Shootings and Human Rights Violations
Hebron, the Largest City in the West Bank, Faces Frequent Israel-Palestine Clashes
Israel Enhances Surveillance Using AI Machine Guns and Advanced Technology

Hebron, located in the West Bank region of the Jordan River, is the largest city in the West Bank with approximately 200,000 Palestinians and around 800 Israeli settlers residing there. It is a place where frequent clashes occur between the residents of both sides. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

[Asia Economy Reporter Bang Je-il] Israel has installed AI robot machine guns at checkpoints in the West Bank of the Jordan River, raising concerns about accidental shootings and human rights violations.

According to the British Daily Telegraph on the 26th (local time), Israeli authorities recently installed an AI machine gun at a checkpoint in Hebron city in the West Bank.

The robot machine gun, known as the "Smash Machine Gun," was installed at the checkpoint on Shuhada Street. The Daily Telegraph reported that Israel appears to have installed the gun to suppress frequent protests by Palestinians in this area.

The West Bank of the Jordan River has long been a site of conflict between Jews and Palestinians. Although Israel occupied the area during the 1967 Six-Day War, approximately 2.7 million Palestinians still reside there. Hebron, located in the West Bank, is the largest city in the area with about 200,000 Palestinians and around 800 Israeli settlers living there, and frequent clashes occur between residents of both sides.

The AI machine gun installed in Hebron was created by Smart Shooter, a company that designs systems using AI-based image processing technology to track and strike targets. This machine gun can be remotely controlled to accurately hit designated targets. Additionally, it can fire flash grenades and sponge rounds.

Although Israeli authorities reportedly have not yet loaded live ammunition into the machine gun, human rights organizations criticize Israel for treating Palestinians as experimental subjects for new military technologies.

There are also concerns that the AI machine gun might mistakenly shoot pedestrians instead of protesters. Issa Amro, a human rights activist working in Hebron, told the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, "Israeli authorities installed this gun in a crowded area where hundreds of people pass by," and warned, "A minor technical error could cost many lives."

This is not the first time Israel has used advanced technology to enhance surveillance in the West Bank. Last year, Israel installed a large-scale facial recognition system called "Blue Wolf" to monitor Palestinians.

Blue Wolf is a smartphone app that verifies personal information on mobile devices. When a Palestinian's face is captured using the app, it compares the image with a database and notifies whether the individual should be arrested, detained, or allowed to pass.

Oliver Phillie-Spragg, head of the Military, Security, and Policy Program at Amnesty International UK, said, "Israel has long used excessive force against unarmed Palestinians at protests and checkpoints," adding, "The AI machine gun could exacerbate these risks."