Shin Bet Chief Ronen Bar, the director of the Israel Security Agency (ISA), confirmed that Israel uses artificial intelligence (AI) technology to identify and prevent threats of terrorism.
"The AI technology was assimilated into the Shin Bet's countermeasures machine naturally. We identified a significant number of threats using AI," Bar said on Tuesday, during the annual International Cyber Week conference hosted by Tel Aviv University.
"In order to make sure that AI will lead to evolution and not revolution, we will need cooperation and openness between the technology giants and the security agencies," he added.
Bar also said that traditional security organizations must adapt to modern times.
"Traditional security organizations are required to adapt to the new situation, where any angry person with access to the Internet may become a threat," he said, stressing that it is impossible to "win this war with sticks and stones."
Bar specifically mentioned the Lion's Den terrorist group as an example, saying that it represents a new kind of terrorist that is "born from the smartphone camera, not inside a mosque."
"We are in the depths of the network and see very well what is happening in it: espionage, terrorism, incitement, and foreign influence. The network, like the terrorists' nests in Jenin and the terror tunnels in Gaza, is not a safe space for our enemies," Bar said.
"The Iron Dome that the Shin Bet is developing in cyberspace is already taking its first steps, the array of alliances is emerging and it has already come into action. We are already cooperating with a number of significant countries in the field and we see the global cyber iron dome beginning to take shape," Bar noted.
This article originally appeared on All Israel News and is reposted with permission.