Show Notes
Israel has long been a leader in hi-tech warfare. In this episode, the Financial Times innovation editor John Thornhill explores the Israel Defense Forces’ use of artificial intelligence targeting aids as part of its arsenal in the war against Hamas. Can AI reduce civilian casualties and prevent breaches of international humanitarian law or has the technology served only to accelerate the loss of life? And what can Israel's defence tech ecosystem tell us about the future of warfare?
We hear from Nadim Nashif, executive director of the Palestinian digital rights group 7amleh, Tal Mimran, an Adjunct Lecturer at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Hamutal Meridor, co-founder of Israeli defence tech start-up Kela, and Elke Schwarz, professor at Queen Mary University of London.
Free to read from FT.com: ‘This is what victory looks like’: inside Israel’s aggressive new security plan DeepMind UK staff seek to unionise and challenge defence deals and Israel links Israel pledges to protect tech start-ups from effects of Hamas war
Tech Tonic is presented by John Thornhill. The producers are Josh Gabert-Doyon and Persis Love. The senior producer is Edwin Lane and the executive producers are Manuela Saragosa and Topher Forhecz. Sound design by Breen Turner and Samantha Giovinco. Original music by Metaphor Music. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from FT Tech Tonic
Could AI help us understand ourselves and each other better? Writer and philosopher Alain de Botton speaks to the FT’s Madhumita Murgia about the challenges we face navigating human relationships, and how AI might be able to help. Recorded live at the FT Weekend Festival.
Murad Ahmed speaks to FT journalist Sarah O’Connor about her new book ‘We Are Not Machines’, which explores the impact AI is already having on workplaces. They discuss how Swedish miners dealt with the introduction of AI-powered vehicles, and how Czech translators found AI stealing the most creative part of their job. Recorded live at the FT Weekend Festival.
AI-related investments are now worth up to half of the entire value of the S&P 500. But is the AI investment boom a bubble waiting to burst? Tim Bradshaw, the FT’s global technology correspondent, speaks to Richard Kramer, founder of Arete Research, and Ophelia Brown, founder of Blossom Capital. Recorded live at the FT Weekend Festival on 5th September 2026.
At the Enhanced Games in Las Vegas earlier this year, athletes used performance-enhancing drugs and banned equipment in an attempt to break world records. At the same time, companies such as Adidas are designing new types of equipment that fall within the rules, but give athletes an edge. So where is the line between cheating and innovation?
Video-assistant refereeing (VAR) has proved to be one of the most controversial pieces of technology ever introduced in sports. But with the rise of everything from broadcasting gimmicks to data-driven gambling, it’s far from the only technology changing what it means to be a fan. The FT’s sports editor Josh Noble asks whether these advancements are making sport more fun to watch, or overshadowing the event itself.