Israel is making strides in the development of its first supercomputer as part of its efforts to advance artificial intelligence technologies, according to the CEO of the state-backed innovation authority.
Dror Bin stated that a budget of $250 million has been allocated for a national AI program that involves collaboration between the government, industry, and academia.
The majority of the program is expected to be completed by the end of this year, with the remaining measures to be implemented by the end of 2027. Bin emphasized that the new supercomputer will enable Israel to train AI models at a significantly reduced cost, addressing the current need for high-tech companies and researchers to rely on cloud services due to the lack of local data centers with sufficient processing power.
The aim of this initiative is to ensure that Israel maintains its leadership and competitive position in the global AI race. Bin also highlighted the positive impact that AI technology has already had on Israel’s tech sector, but cautioned that without timely action, it could become a potential adversary due to its rapid evolution.
Reuters reported that Israel’s tech industry contributes to around 20% of the country’s economic output, positioning it as one of the world’s largest tech hubs. Out of the 9,000 tech startups in Israel, more than 2,200 utilize AI, and the nation boasts a total of 73 generative AI firms, ranking it as the third largest globally.
In the midst of this rapid growth, concerns have been raised by various international organizations regarding the potential consequences of AI. UNESCO, for instance, has expressed worries that the technology could inadvertently fuel anti-Semitism by facilitating the dissemination of fake content and misinformation about the Holocaust.
To address these concerns, the UN’s education and culture body has called upon governments to expedite the implementation of the Recommendation on the Ethics of AI, which was adopted by its members in 2021. Additionally, the agency has urged tech companies to take measures to minimize the generation of unreliable information by AI and prevent malicious actors from exploiting it to spread misinformation.
