Israel must build own AI infrastructure or risk dependence on foreign tech, AI czar warns

Erez Askal, head of Israel's National AI Directorate, warned at the AI Week conference that Israel must build its own AI infrastructure to avoid dependence on foreign tech companies for critical services like energy, water, and healthcare. He cited a US order that led Anthropic to restrict access to its models, highlighting the need for technological sovereignty. The plan requires $2-5 billion annually, with no funding committed yet.

Erez Askal, head of the National AI Directorate at the Prime Minister’s Office, warned on Monday at the AI Week conference at Tel Aviv University that Israel must build its own artificial intelligence infrastructure or risk dependence on foreign tech companies. He said critical services such as energy, water, and healthcare will soon be managed by AI, and that relying on foreign firms exposes Israel to service disruptions and external business interests. Askal cited a June 2026 incident where American AI company Anthropic temporarily restricted access to its powerful Mythos model following a US Department of Commerce order, demonstrating how quickly access to frontier AI can be cut off. He declared that Israel has decided to build its own sovereign AI stack, requiring about two gigawatts of electricity capacity and 300,000 GPUs. The strategy rests on three objectives: securing technological sovereignty, improving quality of life, and leveraging Israel's strengths globally. Implementing the plan would require an estimated $2 billion to $5 billion annually, with no funding committed so far. Nvidia CTO Michael Kagan said at the same conference that Israel is one of the top three countries at the frontier of AI, after the US and China.