Two Israelis vanished to start a new life in Argentina, but their AI history helped to track them down
Anything you type can be used against you.
Image from Facebook/ Embassy of Israel in Austria
- Investigators used Gemini chatbot history to locate Israeli mother Mali Yahalomi and daughter Liel in Buenos Aires.
- The pair disappeared after asking Gemini how to move abroad without being traced and avoid extradition.
- They told police they left voluntarily, possibly amid financial distress, and wanted to disconnect from family and Israel.
- The case shows AI chatbot histories can be accessed by law enforcement, raising privacy concerns over digital conversations.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
Investigators got access to the history of the Gemini chatbot, which helped them to find the missing Israeli mother and daughter in Buenos Aires.
The mother, Mali Yahalomi, and her daughter, Liel, went missing in mid-August, with their last known whereabouts in Vienna, Austria.
The disappearance, which happened on Shabbat, the Jewish day of celebration, was out of character and sparked an international search for the missing duo.
Before disappearing, they asked Google’s chatbot, Gemini, for advice on how to move to another country without being traced.
More specifically, they ask AI which South American countries have no extradition agreement with Israel, despite not being suspected of criminal conduct at home.
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Israeli media reports that the mother and daughter had planned to change their identities and start new lives.
The plan, however, didn’t work out because they were found on an intercity bus in Buenos Aires on August 16th.
According to The Times of Israel, investigators were able to obtain the chatbot's history, which helped in their probe.
It remains unclear why Yahalomi and her daughter wanted to move to Argentina secretly, but police think financial distress may have played a role.
They told Israeli police representative in South America, Walter Kogan, that they left voluntarily and weren’t threatened with violence.
“We simply want to disconnect from the family, from the country,” they reportedly told Kogan, according to Channel 12 news.
The story, which attracted widespread attention and sparked speculation, is a reminder that law enforcement can access AI chatbot histories, much like emails, messages, and other digital communications.
Google's Privacy Policy states that personal user information can be shared with law enforcement for civil, administrative, criminal, and national security purposes
OpenAI admitted in 2025 that it scans ChatGPT conversations for signs of intent to harm others.
“If human reviewers determine that a case involves an imminent threat of serious physical harm to others, we may refer it to law enforcement,” the company said.