Notes

Sadly, the war in Gaza reveals the intricate and sometimes gruesome intertwining between information technology and conflict. Each side uses technology for propaganda and communication purposes: they have transformed the conflict into a digital war. Social media is also at the forefront of the conflict: Twitter, for instance, is largely used to shape public opinion while, at the same time, serves as an important source of information. The ongoing conflict demonstrates the vulnerability of important structures to cyber attacks as both sides have attacked one another’s communication systems and services. This change puts emphasis on the need to adopt stronger information security measures alongside global collaboration to shield essential systems from being disrupted and abused.

The Gaza war’s impact reaches even society beyond the border conflict. The endless streams of images and information available on social media can also lead to further divisions and increase tension. AI imagery and deepfake technology blurs the already faint line of reality, which makes differentiating fiction from fact extremely challenging. This puts forth the immediate need and responsibility of all stakeholders to ensure that media literacy and critical thinking is promoted amongst the youth who are major consumers of social media content. The war also brings to light the lack of ethical considerations that are very necessary when creating and using AI. AI weapons systems and surveillance technology pose heavy threats when it comes to accountability and transparency because the political implications are sensitive. As IT specialists, it is our duty to promote ethical practices and innovation in AI.