On April 3 the Israeli magazine +972 published anexplosive articleby Yuval Abraham based on interviews with six Israeli intelligence officers, all of whom have served in the army during the current war on Gaza. Its subject was the use of AI software named “Lavender” to generate targets for bombing. Abraham suggests that much of the death toll from the Israeli assault (which has now passed 33,000) is a result of the IDF treating the outputs of the AI machine “as if it were a human decision.”
Personally, I wouldn’t blame the killing on the software. The great fear about AI has always been of its escaping human control and taking over, as in the Matrix films. This is wrong. What the obliteration of Gaza has shown is that the greater danger comes when the awesome capabilities of AI are put at the disposal of human beings.
The Lavender software analyzes information collected on most of the 2.3 million residents of the Gaza Strip through a system of mass surveillance, then assesses and ranks the likelihood that each particular person is active in the military wing of Hamas or PIJ …
Lavender learns to identify characteristics of known Hamas and PIJ operatives, whose information was fed to the machine as training data, and then to locate these same characteristics … among the general population … An individual found to have several different incriminating features will reach a high rating, and thus automatically becomes a potential target for assassination.
The Lavender system is designed to mark all suspected operatives in the military wings of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), including low-ranking ones, as potential bombing targets … during the first weeks of the war, the army almost completely relied on Lavender, which clocked as many as 37,000 Palestinians as suspected militants—and their homes—for possible air strikes.
One source stated that human personnel often served only as a “rubber stamp” for the machine’s decisions, adding that, normally, they would personally devote only about “20 seconds” to each target before authorizing a bombing—just to make sure the Lavender-marked target is male.
The Israeli army systematically attacked the targeted individuals while they were in their homes—usually at night while their whole families were present—rather than during the course of military activity. According to the sources, this was because, from what they regarded as an intelligence standpoint, it was easier to locate the individuals in their private houses.
Additional automated systems, including one called “Where’s Daddy?” … were used specifically to track the targeted individuals and carry out bombings when they had entered their family’s residences.
When it came to targeting alleged junior militants marked by Lavender, the army preferred to only use unguided missiles, commonly known as “dumb” bombs (in contrast to “smart” precision bombs), which can destroy entire buildings on top of their occupants and cause significant casualties.
“You don’t want to waste expensive bombs on unimportant people—it’s very expensive for the country and there’s a shortage [of those bombs],” said C., one of the intelligence officers.
Another source said that they had personally authorized the bombing of “hundreds” of private homes of alleged junior operatives marked by Lavender, with many of these attacks killing civilians and entire families as “collateral damage.”
The following was posted on X (formerly Twitter) by Husam Zomlot, Palestinian ambassador to the UK, on February 14, accompanying several photos of Sidra Hassouna and her family:
This is 7 year old Sidra, the cousin of my wife. The impact of the Israeli missile was so powerful it flung her out, leaving her mutilated body dangling from the ruins of the destroyed building in Rafah 48 hours ago. My wife’s aunt Suzan, her husband Fouzy Hassouna, two of their sons, Muhammad and Karam, Karam’s wife Amouna and her three children (7-year-old twins Sidra and Suzan, and 15-month-old Malik) were all killed. The family had been displaced from the north of Gaza and took shelter in Rafah. We will be relentless until those responsible brought to justice.
All texts, except the last, are quotations from Yuval Abraham’s article “‘Lavender’: The AI machine directing Israel’s bombing spree in Gaza.” You can read more about Hind Rajab and Sidra Hassounahereandhere.
I took the photographs at Notre Dame de Sénanque abbey in Provence in July 2002.
Lavender has a very distinct smell. Once you've smelled lavender, you will recognize it instantly. Overall, it has a floral scent, but one that is light and fresh, without being too pungent or overwhelming. It can also have a sweetness to it with herbal, balsamic undertones and notes.
Lavender has a delicate, sweet smell that is floral, herbal, and evergreen woodsy at the same time. It has soft, powdery, or smokey notes as well. Some lavenders have a more medicinal camphor smell that is closer to the balsamic resin scent of rosemary.
Most people love lavender for its soothing smell and pretty color, but did you know the plant has many medicinal and therapeutic benefits? Research shows lavender essential oil can be helpful in treating anxiety, insomnia, digestive issues, skin irritation and blood pressure.
The most fragrant Lavender plants are the Lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia). Several cultivars of English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) are also prized for their delightful scent. Lavandula x intermedia, also called Lavandin, is a hybrid cross between Lavandula angustifolia and Lavandula latifolia.
Sweet Lavender. Lavandula x heterophylla is a rugged hybrid lavender with an upright habit. Deep purple flowers bloom in spikes 1' above the darker green foliage. Lovely fragrance similar to English Lavender. A very reliable and vigorous bloomer.
“Perfumers mainly use vanilla, sugary, and caramel notes because notes coming from flavors have an overtly indulgent effect, while fruit notes and certain floral notes can actually also enhance the sweetness within a fragrance, too.”
Says 'nose' Julie Massé: 'Lavender adds a herb-y note – but interestingly, by adding it to other fragrance notes you can push it towards 'cool' herb-y, towards the smell of mint, or you can go in the other direction and push it towards 'hot' herb-y, almost spicy, like the scent of a hot summer's night. '
Lavender: the secret ingredient to my happiness. If lavender could talk, it would probably say 'stop and smell the purple'. Lavender: the scent that heals both the heart and the nose. Lavender is my spirit plant.
Lavender spiritual symbolism represents love, healing, and innocence. It also offers protection from bad and damaging energies. Lavender not only helps you to sleep but is also said to provide protection from bad dreams. It will not only promote healing but will also keep away illness.
Lavender's history has biblical roots. It is referred to as Spikenard in the Bible. Mary used it on the infant Jesus and anointed Jesus after the crucifixion when she was preparing him for burial.
In fact, one of the main benefits of lavender is that it can calm without sedating . More than simply generating a serene state of mind, lavender can reduce anxiety by affecting the body's fight-or-flight response. Lavender essential oil has been found to be effective in reducing: anxiety.
Lavender essential oils exert their calming effect through various proposed mechanisms, such as GABA receptor inhibition, the reaction of linalool with glutamatergic NMDA receptors, inhibition of serotonin transporter (SERT), antagonizing the NMDA receptor, inhibiting tension-dependent calcium channels, and affecting ...
Grassy, rustic, floral, slightly camphoric, clean, sometimes slightly fruity. Lavender is delicately floral and renowned for its “clean” scent despite having camphoric facets. Sweet and floral, lavender is an herbal scent that blends well with the likes of orange blossom, neroli, bergamot, oakmoss and patchouli.
Lavender is a heavily branched short shrub that grows to a height of roughly 60 centimeters (about 24 inches). Its broad rootstock bears woody branches with upright, rod like, leafy, green shoots.
Hyacinth. If you love the smell of lavender but prefer something a little less herbal and a little more floral, look no further than the hyacinth – similar to lavender but slightly sweeter, and widely available as a cut flower.
On its own, lavender has a distinctive taste that's floral with hints of mint and rosemary (two plants to which it's related) and, used correctly, it makes the perfect flavoring for spring. Dried lavender is just that: the edible flowers of the lavender plant.
Introduction: My name is Kimberely Baumbach CPA, I am a gorgeous, bright, charming, encouraging, zealous, lively, good person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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