Israel Aims to Become an 'Artificial Intelligence Superpower'

Retired Israeli Army General Eyal Zamir stated that steps have been taken to rapidly advance in the field of artificial intelligence, including the formation of a special organization for the use of military robots and unprecedented budget allocations for related research and development this year. Speaking at the annual international security conference in Herzliya, Israel, Mr. Zamir added, "Some consider artificial intelligence to be the next revolution in changing the face of warfare on the battlefield." He referred to developed networks in the field of artificial intelligence as deep learning areas that are used in civilian AI industries and can ultimately have military applications. The ministry has refrained from providing figures related to its AI budget. According to the report, the Israeli army has utilized some of its autonomous AI systems, including robotic reconnaissance jeeps that helped patrol the Gaza border in 2021. Additionally, Israeli aerospace industries unveiled an autonomous information-gathering submarine this month, which, according to the organization, has already conducted "thousands of hours" of operations. General Zamir described Israel's achievements in cyber warfare, which are said to have been widely used against Iran's nuclear facilities, as stemming from "correct and timely recognition of defensive, economic, national, and international dimensions." He stated, "Our mission is to turn the State of Israel into an artificial intelligence superpower and to be among the very few global powers present in this field."