Breaking AI & Tech News Analyzed

In the final moments of January 29, 2024, five-year-old Hind Rajab’s desperate pleas for help were cut short as she remained trapped in a car surrounded by the bodies of six relatives. Despite obtaining clearance from the Israeli military, a Red Crescent ambulance dispatched to rescue the child was struck by tank fire, killing two paramedics and leaving the vehicle abandoned for over a week.Two years after the tragedy, the global campaign group Avaaz has released a report alleging that this incident was a deliberate 'double-tap' strike. This tactic, often used in warfare, involves a first attack followed by a second strike targeting civilians or emergency responders attempting to assist victims of the initial assault.The Avaaz analysis, shared exclusively with Al Jazeera, documents over 40 alleged human rights violations and argues that the attack contravenes international combat law, specifically the Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute. The report suggests that the Israeli military possessed full situational awareness of the rescue mission but deliberately targeted the ambulance.Forensic evidence contradicts the Israeli military's initial claims that the family car was destroyed during an exchange of fire. Analysis by Forensic Architecture at Goldsmiths, University of London, found no evidence of combatants in the vicinity, only the presence of Israeli Merkava tanks. The report highlights that the ambulance was fired upon with 120mm tank rounds without warning, a finding supported by the Hind Rajab Foundation, which has identified 24 potential perpetrators.'I am absolutely convinced that this is another case of double tap,' said Sarah Andrew, legal director of Avaaz. 'The kind of weaponry used on the ambulance, the timing, and the fact that no warning was given – it immediately triggered a question in my mind.'The Avaaz brief urges the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate the matter. The group notes that more than 1,500 healthcare workers have been killed during the ongoing conflict in Gaza, raising serious concerns about the safety of medical personnel in the region.

Iran has issued a stark warning to Gulf countries, threatening 'irreversible destruction' of their water infrastructure if the US follows through on its threat to attack Iran's electricity grid. This move has raised fears of a severe disruption to water supplies in the region, which heavily relies on desalination plants for drinking water.The Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman, are highly dependent on these plants, with some countries relying on them for up to 90% of their water supply. For example, Kuwait gets 90% of its water from desalination plants, while Saudi Arabia relies on them for around 70%.Desalination plants are considered critical civilian infrastructure in the Gulf, as they turn seawater into drinking water through a process called reverse osmosis. These plants are situated on the coast, making them an easy target for an Iranian attack, and disabling them would have a significant impact on civilian populations and industries.Iran has already followed through on a similar threat in the past, targeting a desalination plant in Bahrain after one of its own plants was hit. Analysts have warned that any disruption to water infrastructure could trigger a major escalation in the conflict, given the potential economic and civilian impact.The impact of targeting desalination plants would be severe, with most Gulf countries only having water reserves to last around a week. If plants are struck and capacity is taken out, the impact would be quick and severe, potentially wiping out water supplies to major cities in a matter of days.

Palantir, a Miami-based company backed by billionaire Peter Thiel, has secured a three-month trial contract with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to analyze a vast amount of sensitive UK financial regulation data. The deal, worth over £30,000 per week, aims to help the FCA tackle financial crimes such as fraud, money laundering, and insider trading.The FCA has awarded Palantir the contract to investigate its internal intelligence data, which includes highly sensitive case intelligence files, information on problem firms, and reports from lenders about proven and suspected frauds. Palantir will apply its AI system, known as Foundry, to huge quantities of information held by the watchdog, including recordings of phone calls, emails, and social media posts.The contract has raised concerns about privacy and the company's ethical reliability. One source expressed concerns that Palantir may share the information it learns from the FCA with other parties. Palantir's technology is used by the Israeli military and in the US president's ICE immigration crackdown, leading to criticism from left-wing MPs.The FCA has stated that it has strict controls in place to ensure data is protected and that Palantir will only act on instruction from the regulator. The data will be hosted and stored solely in the UK, and Palantir will have to destroy the data after completion of the contract.Experts have highlighted the potential benefits of using AI to tackle financial crimes, but also emphasized the need for robust protocols to protect sensitive information. Prof Michael Levi, an expert in money laundering, noted that AI is a potentially valuable technology to tackle financial crimes, but also raised concerns about the ownership and control of the data.