A dystopian reality has come to fruition. Yale University has suspended a scholar from its law school after a Jewish news website utilizing AI to generate articles identified her as a member of a terrorist organization. This incident occurs amidst the Trump administration’s relentless campaign to stifle any speech sympathetic to the Palestinian cause.

Recent actions have shown the administration’s commitment to this goal. For instance, ICE has detained an activist at Columbia University who played a key role in leading Palestinian protests. Furthermore, it has been reported that the State Department plans to leverage AI to monitor social media and deport international students who express pro-Palestinian views. The Trump administration has also withdrawn federal funding from universities that permit protests supportive of Palestine, labeling them as antisemitic. Interestingly, conservatives strongly advocate for protecting free speech on social media platforms, but only when it aligns with their views.

Helyeh Doutaghi, the scholar at Yale Law School, expressed to the New York Times that she is an outspoken supporter of Palestinian rights, stating, “I am not a member of any organization that would constitute a violation of U.S. law.” The article that led to her suspension was published in Jewish Onliner, a Substack that claims to be “empowered by A.I. capabilities.”

Jewish Onliner maintains anonymity for its authors due to concerns about harassment. Ironically, Doutaghi and Yale faced intense harassment after Jewish Onliner published the article linking Doutaghi to terrorism by citing her appearances at events sponsored by Samidoun, a pro-Palestinian group.

Last year, the Treasury Department added Samidoun to the U.S. sanctions list, designating it as a “sham charity” that raises money for the terrorist organization, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. The terrorist designation is now used to silence any anti-Israel activity, labeling it as “illegal.” According to recent estimates, the war in Gaza, where Palestinians seek liberation from Israel, has resulted in the deaths of at least 46,000 Palestinians, while approximately 1,700 Israelis have died.

The method by which Jewish Onliner utilizes AI to produce its articles remains unclear, but it is well-documented that this technology is prone to errors and can fabricate information. It is possible that Jewish Onliner relied on AI to source information for the article, which could lead to liability if proper fact-checking and due diligence were not performed.

Regardless of Doutaghi’s assertion that she is not a member of Samidoun, her attendance at events sponsored by the group in support of Palestinian causes led Yale Law School to state that the allegations against her reflect “potential unlawful conduct.”

The use of AI to surveil and silence speech has long been a concern raised by privacy advocates, and it is now becoming a reality. This development poses a significant threat, as anyone can be targeted for their online statements, particularly when such technology is in the hands of authoritarian governments.