Delivering a poignant response to pro-BDS activism during the Iron Swords War, President Isaac Herzog said last week that "the reason countries do not boycott us is because of our human capital, the high-tech and the financial connections that they do not want to lose."
Herzog's comments came at the May 8 launch event in Sde Boker for Ben-Gurion University of the Negev's (BGU) "The Institute," which will promote Israel's leadership in implementing artificial intelligence capabilities in the cyber, medical, finance and education industries.
In recent years, the State of Israel has dealt with a series of political, security, and economic challenges, but technological progress does not stand still – and the revolution in AI that has occurred over the past year is expected to affect every aspect of our lives. To help maintain Israel's leading role in the future of AI, BGU has joined together with entrepreneurs and investors Dovi Frances, Chairman and Founder of the Group 11 Venture Capital Fund, and Shalev Hulio, founder and CEO of the start-up company Dream Security, to establish The Institute.
"An initiative like this one is critical to our future and we will become the leaders in the field," Herzog said. "I am committed to advancing it and supporting it to the best of my ability for the technological future of Israel."
Americans for Ben-Gurion University (A4BGU) CEO Doug Seserman said, "President Herzog is right – the best response to boycotts of Israel is rallying around what's right by supporting the country's world-renowned penchant for innovation and entrepreneurship. As Americans for Ben-Gurion University, we will continue to build a movement in support BGU's commitment to improving the world through the development of scalable solutions for all of humanity in fields such as artificial intelligence, water conservation, environmental science, medical research, cybersecurity, and more."
In the first stage of this initiative, the venture will train the CEOs of leading companies. They will be taught how to understand the effects of the artificial intelligence revolution and how to assimilate the technological capabilities it brings with it into the products and services offered to the companies' customers, while adapting to the developing regulations around the world.
A team of mentors comprised of senior figures in Israeli industry and academia in a variety of fields and disciplines will lead the training programs in artificial intelligence. Among them are Professor Tamir Hazan, Head of the Machine Learning Lab at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology; Dr. Tomer Simon, Chief Scientist at Microsoft's Development Center in Israel; Ofir Zamir, Senior Director and Head of the AI Solution Architecture Group at Nvidia Israel; Tal Fialkow, Vice President of Cyber AI at Dream Security; Guy Benjamin, founder of Healthee; and Gaby Diamant, founder of Bridgewise.
The project will also incorporate unique AI study programs from BGU, in which outstanding students from STEM subjects will be integrated. Program participants will receive tools and knowledge from leading lecturers in the fields of artificial intelligence, to increase the quality workforce specializing in the development and implementation of AI technologies.
"We at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev are at the forefront of dealing not only with academic challenges but also with the most pressing issues of our people," said Prof. Daniel Chamovitz, President of BGU. "In the spirit of David Ben-Gurion, and following October 7th, we initiated a groundbreaking partnership with industry leaders and investors to establish 'The Institute.' This ambitious venture will not only position Israel as a world leader in artificial intelligence but will also accelerate the Negev's further development into the 'Silicon Valley' of Israel. Through the Institute's comprehensive programs, we will empower executives, entrepreneurs, and students with the insights and tools needed to harness the potential of AI, while establishing state-of-the-art research facilities to advance our commitment to innovation, security, and prosperity for our region and beyond."
During the coming year, The Institute is expected to establish advanced AI research laboratories, including supercomputing infrastructures, to maintain collaborations with leading industry bodies, entrepreneurs, and start-ups, thereby empowering and strengthening Israel's leadership position in the field.
"Through hard work born out of love and commitment to the State of Israel, we have built a team of the best entrepreneurs, investors and leading companies in the world to help Israel become a global leader in artificial intelligence," said Sivan Cohen Saban, CEO of The Institute. "We are convinced that the connection between industry, academia and the security agencies will build a solid infrastructure for the challenges and opportunities brought about by the artificial intelligence revolution."
