Helier Dotaggi, who serves the Deputy Director of Law and Politics and Economics (LPE) project in Yale in an official statement on Wednesday, condemning her suspension, accusing her of retaliatory actions against the Palestinian stance and violation of her constitutional rights to freedom of speech and academic freedom.
“AI is weaponized to target students, faculty and organizers who dare to oppose genocide, systemic hunger, and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians,” she warned, highlighting the broader impact of the misuse of artificial intelligence in academic and public discourse.
Doutaghi, an international law expert who established herself as an associate researcher at Yale Law School, was informed of an article published on March 3rd by the ambiguous AI-powered right-wing Zionist platform Jewish Onliner, which mistakenly labeled her as a “terrorist.”
Doutaghi, who has spoken out about the implications of US military operations, imperialism, the genocide of US cationism, and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Palestine, reported that the accusations from this article have even led to online harassment and death threats against her.
Less than 24 hours after the article was released, Yale Law School administrators placed the slapstick on vacation.
She criticized the administration for providing sufficient time to question and attend questions based on AI-generated allegations without justification.
Doutaghi also expressed concern about the choice of a power of attorney for Yale’s questioning. Her interrogation is Wiggin and Dana’s David Ring.
She questioned his neutrality in a case involving a pro-Palestinian scholar.
“YLS’ actions constitute a blatant act of retaliation against Palestinian solidarity,” Doutaghi said, arguing that the administration prioritized recognition of Zionist donors over a fair investigation.
Doutaghi pointed out that Yale’s asset managers include companies related to general dynamics and Lockheed Martin. This produces components of the F-35 fighter jets that Israel uses when committing genocide, claiming that the move creates conflicts of interest that undermine academic integrity.
“This crackdown is a dangerous escalation of national oppression and fosters an atmosphere of fear on campus,” says Doutaghi. “We are witnessing a new era of Zionist McCarthyism, where objections have come into conflict with violence and solidarity with Palestine has become a punishable crime.”
“Yale is bent over Trump’s efforts to restrain freedom of speech, crush academic freedom and establish dictatorship,” Dutaggi’s lawyer, Eric Lee, wrote on social media in light of her halt.
Meanwhile, the US State Department is considering using AI to potentially revoke visas for international students accused of supporting Hamas, and reportedly raises more concerns about the consequences of such technology for civil liberties.
On Saturday, Mahmoud Khalil, a recent Columbia University alumnus who led last year’s solidarity protests in support of the Gaza Strip, was detained by Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) and was said to have been deported despite having a green card.
After Halil’s detention, President Donald Trump declared it to be “the first of many,” labeling Halil as “a fundamental foreign pro-Hama student,” emphasising that his administration would adopt a harsh stance on pro-Palestinian activities within American universities.
MNA