Israel decided to invest 250 million USD to build its first supercomputer to consolidate its leading position in the hot field of artificial intelligence (AI).
According to Reuters, this move shows that Israel is well aware of the breakneck pace of AI development and the great opportunities and challenges it brings. Supercomputers will be a key foundation, helping Israeli businesses and research institutes access advanced AI technology, thereby promoting innovation and improving competitiveness in the international arena.
Speaking at the AI conference taking place on June 26, Mr. Dror Bin, executive director of the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA), emphasized the importance of maintaining a leading position in the field of AI. He said that although AI has been an important driving force for the development of Israel's technology industry, the country needs to act more decisively to not be left behind in the global AI revolution. bridge.
The Israeli government plans to invest $250 million in the national AI program, with the participation of both the public and private sectors and academia. The project will be implemented from 2024 and expected to be completed in 2027.
In Israel, technology contributes up to 20% of GDP, making the country one of the world's leading technology centers. Currently, Israel has more than 9,000 startups, of which more than 2,200 companies apply AI to business activities. In particular, Israel owns 73 companies specializing in Generative AI, ranking third in the world in terms of the number of companies in this field.
The head of the IIA added that the fact that high-tech companies and researchers have to rent cloud services due to the lack of high-performance computing infrastructure in the country is a worrying reality. The construction of supercomputers will facilitate the needs of AI research and development activities, thereby promoting innovation and enhancing the competitiveness of the economy.
The supercomputer construction project will be held for bidding by IIA next month. This is considered a strategic step by Israel to realize its ambition of becoming a global AI power, while affirming its pioneering position in the 4.0 industrial revolution.