--- title: "Former Israeli Tech Chief: AI Could Cause Tragedy “Worse Than 9/11”" description: "A former chief technology officer for the Israeli government warned that artificial intelligence could lead to a tragedy \"worse than 9/11.\"" date: "2019-02-14" modified: "2019-02-14" authors: - name: "Jon Christian" job_title: "Executive Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jonc" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/israeli-tech-chief-ai-tragedy-9-11" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" tags: - "artificial intelligence" - "Israel" - "terrorism" - "the digest" --- # Former Israeli Tech Chief: AI Could Cause Tragedy “Worse Than 9/11” ![A former chief technology officer for the Israeli government warned that artificial intelligence could lead to a tragedy "worse than 9/11."]() *\Image: Yuri\_B/Victor Tangermann\* ## Looming Catastrophe Artificial intelligence could lead to a tragedy "that would be worse than 9/11," a former chief technology officer for the Israeli government warned in a new interview. The more control AI has over society, Amit Meltzer [told the *Jerusalem Post*](), the more power it will give to people capable of exploiting it. ## Dire Warning During the interview, Meltzer floated the chilling possibility that terrorists could hack millions of cars and force them to crash simultaneously, causing untold casualties, as an example of the type of high**-**tech horror that could befall an increasingly automated world. He also raised the specter of psychological warfare campaigns that could crash economies or cause mass unrest. ## Bad Outcomes According to Meltzer, an AI arms race between the U.S., China, Russia, and Israel means that the technical capabilities of AI are rolling out so fast that they're outpacing civil liberties and society's ability to [anticipate bad outcomes](). "Afterwards, they will fix things and ask forgiveness from the victims," he told the *Jerusalem Post*. But he also expressed hope that AI could be used for good **—** if governments help steer it in the right direction. **READ MORE:** [Ex-Gov't Agent: Crisis Worse Than 9/11 Could Emerge From AI Arms Race]() \[*The Jerusalem Post*\] ***More on AI gone bad: [Five Experts Share What Scares Them the Most About AI]()*** ## Author I'm responsible for editing, assigning, and scouting at Futurism, as well as occasionally writing for the site. That work involves keeping an eye on a wide range of narratives and issues, but over the past few years I've become increasingly interested in how AI is shaping the future of media, the web, and information itself. My day-to-day often involves collaborating on reporting and commentary projects bylined by my colleagues, but I try to find time to do my own reporting as well; stories I've broken for Futurism have been cited by publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker, Wired, Ars Technica, New York Magazine, the Columbia Journalism Review, Bloomberg, and more. I grew up in Southern Vermont and attended Vanderbilt University. Prior to Futurism, I contributed to outlets including the Boston Globe, Vice, Wired, Slate, the Atlantic, the Outline, Ars Technica and more, and did stints in farming and food service. I currently live in Brooklyn, New York, and in my free time I enjoy pinball, word games, cycling, running, and music production. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()