Maker of AI Targeting System for Drones Faces Protests for Shipments to Israeli Military
Sightline Intelligence, a Portland-based AI company, has shipped drone targeting technology to Elbit Systems in Israel, raising concerns about its role in military operations in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran. Activists in Portland are protesting the shipments and urging city officials to investigate the company's activities. The technology, which uses AI to classify individuals in drone footage, may influence real-time military decisions despite concerns over civilian casualties.
- ▪Sightline Intelligence has made at least 10 shipments of AI video processing hardware to Elbit Systems in Israel since 2024.
- ▪The hardware, including SLA-3000-OEM boards, enables real-time target classification on drones by identifying individuals as civilians, militants, or armed targets.
- ▪Activists with the Movement Research Unit used cargo manifest data to trace the shipments, which passed through airports in New York and New Jersey.
- ▪The AI system assigns confidence percentages to classifications, such as '94 percent unarmed' or '75 percent military,' potentially influencing strike decisions.
- ▪Protests in Portland have called on local officials to investigate Sightline's operations and its ties to Israeli military contractors.
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Maker of AI Targeting System for Drones Faces Protests for Shipments to Israeli Military Sightline Intelligence specializes in video processing and claims its AI can separate civilians from militants. Noah Hurowitz May 5 2026, 5:00 a.m. Share Copy link Share on Facebook Share on Bluesky Share on X Share on LinkedIn Share on WhatsApp An Israeli soldier launches an Elbit Skylark miniature unmanned aerial vehicle near the border with the Occupied Gaza Strip in southern Israel on Sept. 30, 2025. Photo: Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images A company in Portland, Oregon, that specializes in AI targeting for drones has made significant shipments of materials to military contractors in Israel, according to cargo data reviewed by The Intercept.
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