Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National AI Directorate chief Brig. Gen. (res.) Erez Eskel launched Israel’s National AI Program, aimed at establishing the country as a global leader in artificial intelligence and harnessing the technology to strengthen Israel’s economy and improve services for its citizens.
The program was launched Sunday at a conference attended by representatives of government ministries and agencies that have spent recent months formulating the plan.
Netanyahu said the program has two principal objectives: securing Israel’s position as a global AI superpower and promoting prosperity for the Israeli economy and public.
“We stand at the threshold of a new era," Netanyahu said. “AI is not just another technology; it is going to change the world. It is going to change the lives of each and every one of us, of our children, and of generations to come."
The Prime Minister compared the emerging technological transformation to the Industrial Revolution and warned that countries that fail to adapt quickly could find themselves left behind.
“We are in a historical window of opportunity, but a very short one, because the pace of change is so great that if you do not safeguard and advance yourself in this wave, you will simply be left behind," he said.
“We have no time to waste, and we do not just want to avoid being left behind; we want to be in the number one place, a leading place."
Netanyahu pointed to Israel’s success in cybersecurity as an example of what the country could achieve in artificial intelligence. He recalled predicting approximately a decade ago that Israel would become one of the world’s five leading cyber powers.
“People did not quite buy it," Netanyahu said. “Today we are in second place in investments in cyber ventures. Israel is second only to the United States. This means we have immense capabilities."
“We want to ensure two fundamental things in this program: First, securing Israel as a global superpower - and I emphasize, a global superpower - in the fields of AI, and second, promoting prosperity for the Israeli economy, as well as for Israel’s citizens and Israel’s children."
Netanyahu noted that Israel had previously established itself as a leader in fields including cyber, agriculture, medicine and medical technology, and expressed confidence that it could repeat that success in AI.
The National AI Program expands on Government Decision 4255 and lays out areas in which Israel can distinguish itself internationally, as well as the infrastructure and other measures required to preserve the country’s technological capabilities and ensure their continuity.
Following months of planning, officials at Sunday’s conference began transitioning the program into its operational phase and translating its objectives into practical measures.
“I am counting on you," Netanyahu told the officials involved. “Our ministries, all government ministries, have enlisted in this."
“We are acting to create our competitive advantage. Not just to create it - it already exists - but to preserve and expand it."
“The future will not wait for us; we are creating it," the Prime Minister added. “With our brilliant minds, determination, vision, and the work of all of you, we will ensure the future, security, and prosperity of the State of Israel as a global AI superpower."
Brig. Gen. (res.) Erez Eskel, head of the National AI Directorate, described the initiative as an ambitious plan intended to capitalize on Israel’s existing strengths while developing the infrastructure required for the AI era.
“We are launching this program, which takes into account the distinct advantages of the State of Israel in the fields of cyber, physical AI, and solving life’s problems with AI," Eskel said.
He said the plan would also provide critical infrastructure for Israel’s national and economic needs, including powerful computing capabilities that few countries currently possess and a national quantum computer.
Eskel emphasized that Israel’s most important asset, however, remains its people.
“The central and most important issue [is] the human capital in the State of Israel, which is our true engine," he said.
“We are already in a good position. We have dedicated extensive resources and programs to set a much higher standard, and above all to increase the numbers, so that the State of Israel enters a position of very significant leadership into this vital era."
Eskel thanked Netanyahu for establishing the National AI Directorate approximately six months ago and said its initiatives were already producing tangible results.
“We already have real results, and we have programs entering the operational phase that are now starting to define clear outcomes that make an impact," he said.
Those outcomes, Eskel added, are intended first to strengthen Israel’s resilience and, second, to improve the services received by every Israeli citizen.
The conference brought together representatives from dozens of government and national institutions, including the Prime Minister’s Office, Defense Ministry, Finance Ministry, Bank of Israel, Health Ministry, Economy Ministry, Foreign Ministry, Education Ministry, Justice Ministry, Israel Innovation Authority, Israel Securities Authority, Israel Space Agency, National Economic Council, Council for Higher Education, Central Bureau of Statistics, Tax Authority and other government bodies.