PM Netanyahu launches national AI program, vows Israel will become a 'global superpower'

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched Israel's National AI Program on Sunday, vowing to make the country a 'global superpower' in AI. The program, developed over several months, was unveiled with Brig.-Gen. (res.) Erez Eskel, head of the National AI Directorate. Netanyahu compared AI's impact to the Industrial Revolution and warned of being 'left behind.'

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched Israel's National AI Program on Sunday, August 9, 2026, in a joint ceremony with Brig.-Gen. (res.) Erez Eskel, head of the National AI Directorate. Netanyahu said AI would bring about a new era, comparing it to the Industrial Revolution, and warned that those who do not keep up would be 'left behind.' He stated the program's two goals: making Israel a 'global superpower' in AI and promoting economic success. Eskel described the program as the first step forward, highlighting Israel's advantages in cyber, physical AI, and solving life's problems with AI, and mentioned providing infrastructure such as compute capabilities and a national quantum computer, as well as addressing human capital. The program had been under development for several months.