Mali, Liel Yahalomi's AI search history helped authorities track them down in Argentina - report

An international search effort has located two Israelis, Mali and Liel Yahalomi, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, after they were initially reported missing in Vienna, Austria. The mother and daughter were found on an intercity bus early Saturday morning, according to Argentinian Jewish news agency AJN.

Israeli authorities were able to track the pair partly through their artificial intelligence search history. N12 News reported that although the Yahalomis attempted to cover their tracks by deleting their search history, authorities recovered enough information to locate them. Their AI queries reportedly included how to purchase a mobile device without identification and how to delete specific apps to prevent location tracking.

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Hi Mali, hi Liel. I’m Walter, the police representative in South America, okay? From the Israel Police Intelligence Division. I want to ask you a few questions. We were very worried about you, okay? I’m going to get everyone off the bus, and then we’ll talk, okay?

Further AI consultations allegedly involved researching which South American countries lack extradition agreements with Israel. The pair had traveled from Austria to the Czech Republic, then to Germany, before arriving in Argentina. They had reportedly planned to change their identities and begin new lives. Israel Police released a video of their representative in South America, Walter Alejandro Kogan, approaching the two women on the bus, expressing relief and stating they had been worried.

Mali Yahalomi told Kogan that she desired a fresh start. The incident highlights the increasing role of AI in both facilitating and tracking individuals' movements and intentions, even in cases of missing persons.

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she wanted a fresh start.