Israeli Students Build AI to Fight Online Hate From Bunkers

While missiles threatened above ground, Israeli students refused to stop building something good.

On Thursday night, 40 young tech professionals and students gathered in protected safe rooms across Israel, connecting over Zoom to spend the night developing AI tools that detect and stop antisemitic hate speech in gaming platforms and digital spaces. The overnight coding marathon, organized by nonprofit ADIR and Fiverr's Colors Foundation, tackled a problem that's exploded during the recent Iran conflict.

The urgency is real. One 12-year-old Israeli boy was kicked out of a Roblox game simply for being Jewish, his parents reported. Blue Square Alliance data shows antisemitic content on social media and gaming platforms has jumped 264% since fighting began, with dehumanizing language targeting Jews up 668%.

The 10 development teams focused on creating technology that gaming companies and social platforms can actually use. Their AI-based prototypes aim to identify hate speech and antisemitic abuse before it reaches young users, particularly in spaces where kids and teenagers spend hours each day.

Participants worked through the night from mamads, Israel's reinforced safe rooms designed to protect residents during missile attacks. The choice to continue despite security threats carried meaning beyond the code they wrote.

"The fact that our partners and participants insisted not to cancel this effort because of the ongoing missile threat, but to develop technological solutions from inside protected rooms, is the strongest possible response to the massive wave of antisemitism we are facing," said Morielle Lotan, ADIR's founder and CEO.

The Ripple Effect

The impact reaches beyond Israeli children. Gaming platforms host millions of young people worldwide who face similar harassment and hate. The AI tools developed during this marathon could help protect kids across continents from toxic online environments.

Tech leaders from companies including Overwolf, MoonActive, and Tech7 mentored the teams throughout the night. Participants who completed the program received certificates from NYU's Center for the Study of Antisemitism and ADIR, recognizing both their technical skills and their commitment to making digital spaces safer.

Sharon Steiner, Fiverr's chief human resources officer, emphasized why the company supported the initiative. "We must harness the most advanced technology available to create real change," Steiner said. "Fiverr will continue to support social initiatives that drive meaningful impact both in routine times and during crises."

ADIR was founded in memory of Adir Mesika, who died saving others at the Nova music festival on October 7. The nonprofit channels grief into action, developing both talent and technology to fight online hate and radicalization.

Young developers building tools for peace from bomb shelters shows what choosing hope over fear looks like.