There’s said to be an unfortunate conflict in the Israel-Palestine region and it’s said to be one of the worst periods of violence in the region. So, amidst these tensions, what’s AI doing here? Is there a role for an AI model to play here?
The UN seems to think so. The United Nations Development Programme aims to help countries eliminate poverty & achieve sustainable economic growth and human development. CulturePulse AI is a social media analytics startup from Slovakia in Europe. In October 2023, it was announced that the UNDP was collaborating with CulturePulse to develop an AI model, with the project being called PIVOT: the Palestine-Israel Virtual Outlook Tool.
There’s a multi-agent AI model that’s said to be a digital twin of the region. A digital twin is a virtual computer-generated model that would replicate real-world entities and their behaviour. In this case, the digital twin represents the Israel-Palestine region. Each simulated entity within the model is said to mirror the demographics, beliefs and values of corresponding real-world people.
So, it’s like a highly sophisticated computer programme that would recreate a parallel and digital version of the region. This digital twin isn’t like a static map. But, it’s like a dynamic simulation, where thousands or millions of entities interact with each other, which may be influenced by factors, like demographics, religious beliefs and moral values. Each entity within the digital twin would represent a simulated person. The interactions among them are said to be governed by the principles of AI.
So, it’s like an artificial laboratory.
The collaboration would have a lab like the real Israel-Palestine region. In this lab, there are computer-generated people called “agents”, who act like real people, but they’re not actually real. This lab could make these fake people feel things like anger, anxiety, have their own beliefs about what’s right or wrong and even say things that are hurtful.
But, why create this digital twin?
This is to provide a controlled environment for studying and understanding the complex dynamics of the Israel-Palestine conflict. The aim of this project is to digitally simulate potential interventions before risking real-world implementation. And by accurately modelling the characteristics and behaviour of real-world people within the region, there could be insights into the root causes of the conflict, analyze potential solutions and explore the consequences of various interventions. With this, researchers could experiment with different scenarios, test hypotheses and observe how changes in variables impact the overall system.
CulturePulse co-founders F LeRon Shults and Justin Lane remark that the AI model may not be designed to resolve the situation. But, the aim may be to understand, analyze and get insights into implementing policies and communication strategies. So, this won’t just show what happens. It could actually try to figure out why things happen the way they do. This could build scenarios, like conflicts, disagreements or even peaceful solutions, starting from the very basics. It’s like planting seeds and watching them grow into different outcomes.
So, this could be a way to study the causes, not just the effects. And could this be an instance to incorporate bias in AI models, instead of curbing it?
Even with all the problems and violence happening in the Israel-Palestine region, instead of ignoring information that might be a bit one-sided, the AI model might actually use it. The aim is for the AI model to be as real as possible, even if that means including biased or one-sided information.
Why? That way, it feels realistic and reflects how people really think and feel, which could help experts get a more accurate picture of what’s going on, even if it’s not always perfectly balanced. According to CulturePulse cofounder Lane, certain bad actors may share something called “identity fusion”. Identity fusion is when people feel closely tied to a group. This feeling may be linked to being a victim of t*rrorism.
By using smart computer programmes to understand the way certain people think, more could be learned about why a conflict is taking place.
So, is all of this the Metaverse?
Could a conflict be a way for the Metaverse to be beneficial? CulturePulse’s digital twin idea does share similarities with the idea of the Metaverse. The Metaverse is a collective virtual shared space that’s created by converging physical and virtual reality. It’s a space where users can interact with a computer-generated environment and other users in real-time. It’s envisioned as a comprehensive, immersive and interconnected digital universe that goes beyond individual simulations. CulturePulse’s digital twin may be more specific. It’s a simulated model of a particular region by replicating real-world entities and their interactions.
Could the Metaverse have use cases here? Could the Metaverse offer a space for simulating and testing peacebuilding initiatives? Would stakeholders, like international organizations, use virtual scenarios to explore the potential impact of different interventions before implementing them in the real world? Is that what CulturePulse is technically doing? If so, does it take something as macabre as this conflict to validate the Metaverse?
In the midst of violence and aggression, would people put on a headset?
Could AI be a way to provide a unique perspective on the challenges of the Israel-Palestine conflict? Creating a digital twin may raise ethical questions about the accuracy and representation of real-world complexities. There might be an oversimplification or a misrepresentation of cultural, social or political factors within the model. And that may lead to skewed results and misguided conclusions.
Furthermore, while CulturePulse aims to incorporate biased information for psychological realism, could the process perpetuate or reinforce existing biases? Would the model be meticulously designed to mitigate an unintended reinforcement of stereotypes or discriminatory viewpoints?
And AI algorithms may be biased, even if they’re the most advanced ones. This could potentially lead to flawed outcomes and recommendations. Modelling the socio-ecological aspects of the Israel-Palestine conflict in a comprehensive manner might be a Herculean technical challenge. The region’s intricacies, historical nuances and the fluid nature of conflicts may make easy simulation much harder. And implementing insights gained from the model into tangible and effective policies or interventions might be a challenge.
How accurately could a model represent human behaviour, beliefs and emotions? Could it capture the full spectrum of human experiences and responses in a simulated environment? Would any shortcomings undermine the model’s predictive power?
And sure, all of this sounds cool, fun, interesting and innovative. It might be interesting to nitpick and surgically analyze ideas and strategies. But, beyond the theoretical, there’s real human impact. People are said to be losing lives, living in terror and fear, there’s discord, aggression, non-violence, fear, worry and stress.
So, maybe, the one-size-fits-all solution could be impossible.
Maybe, AI can’t just wave a magic wind and solve the complexities of a region torn by disputes and aggression. But, can an AI algorithm truly unpack the intricacies of human conflicts?
