The State Control Committee, chaired by MK Mickey Levy (Yesh Atid), convened on Monday for a special debate on national preparedness regarding AI, this following the State Comptroller's report on the matter from November 2024.
The Annual Report on Cyber and Information Systems states that Israel lacks a long-term national strategy on artificial intelligence. "In this situation, it is no surprise that we have declined in international rankings. There is no justification for changes of government to stop a plan that is unrelated to political arguments and whose purpose is to push Israel forward in one of the global revolutions that will further intensify in the coming years," the report states.
According to the report, implementation of government plans in the field of artificial intelligence over the years has been slow and incomplete, and has not met the deadlines that were set. The State Comptroller suggested that the Prime Minister, through the National Security Council, monitor the progress the Government is making in this field, and see to it that a significant national plan was being implemented.
Committee Chair MK Levy said, "The field of artificial intelligence has created a global revolution and has had a dramatic effect on fields such as medicine, security and economy. The report points to the fact that in Israel there is no national strategic plan or a chief coordinating government body to spearhead this [effort]. While other countries, such as the United States and Britain, form designated bodies, Israel is lagging behind, and we see a decline in its international ranking. The Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology is not fulfilling its duty at the national level, and only handles specific matters. Israel must lead in this field, but at the same time we will make certain there is smart regulation that will prevent possible damage. Israel can and should be a leader in the field of artificial intelligence. In order to realize this potential, we must learn from the leading countries and establish a chief coordinating body for this matter."
MK Avigdor Liberman (Yisrael Beitenu), chair of the Subcommittee for Advancing Israeli High-Tech, said "If we will not invest in high-tech, we will lose our relative edge. The productivity in the high-tech field is higher than the average of OECD countries, but the number of engineers Israel train trains each year – only 8,000 – is far from being sufficient. For comparison, Iran trains 250,000 engineers each year." MK Liberman said the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology should be placed in charge of artificial intelligence, and called to set up a chief coordinating body. "Otherwise," he said, "we will discover that we have lost our leading position."
MK Orit Farkash Hacohen (National Unity Party), chair of the Subcommittee on Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technologies, said "In my [previous] role as Minister of Innovation I advanced a broad national plan for artificial intelligence, but it was not approved due to the change of governments. The need for regulation and cooperation is only increasing, and the State of Israel cannot afford to lag behind."
Gadi Arieli, Director General of the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, said "Since the [current] minister has entered office, the ministry has taken upon itself to make the field of artificial intelligence accessible to the public. We are working on a plan that will integrate artificial intelligence into the curriculum - beginning in kindergarten - and in local authorities, but the gap between the progress that is being made globally, and the progress in Israel, is noticeable. We have to step up the efforts."
Another official from the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology said, "Israel's international status is far from being dire. The issue is a top priority for the ministry, and this year we have seen many achievements, despite the war. We are ranked fourth in [AI-related] start-ups, and fourth in groundbreaking [AI] advancements, similar [to Israel's ranking] in the field of research. We were among the first to embed artificial intelligence in government agencies."
The Annual Report on Cyber and Information Systems states that Israel lacks a long-term national strategy on artificial intelligence. "In this situation, it is no surprise that we have declined in international rankings. There is no justification for changes of government to stop a plan that is unrelated to political arguments and whose purpose is to push Israel forward in one of the global revolutions that will further intensify in the coming years," the report states.
According to the report, implementation of government plans in the field of artificial intelligence over the years has been slow and incomplete, and has not met the deadlines that were set. The State Comptroller suggested that the Prime Minister, through the National Security Council, monitor the progress the Government is making in this field, and see to it that a significant national plan was being implemented.
Committee Chair MK Levy said, "The field of artificial intelligence has created a global revolution and has had a dramatic effect on fields such as medicine, security and economy. The report points to the fact that in Israel there is no national strategic plan or a chief coordinating government body to spearhead this [effort]. While other countries, such as the United States and Britain, form designated bodies, Israel is lagging behind, and we see a decline in its international ranking. The Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology is not fulfilling its duty at the national level, and only handles specific matters. Israel must lead in this field, but at the same time we will make certain there is smart regulation that will prevent possible damage. Israel can and should be a leader in the field of artificial intelligence. In order to realize this potential, we must learn from the leading countries and establish a chief coordinating body for this matter."
MK Avigdor Liberman (Yisrael Beitenu), chair of the Subcommittee for Advancing Israeli High-Tech, said "If we will not invest in high-tech, we will lose our relative edge. The productivity in the high-tech field is higher than the average of OECD countries, but the number of engineers Israel train trains each year – only 8,000 – is far from being sufficient. For comparison, Iran trains 250,000 engineers each year." MK Liberman said the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology should be placed in charge of artificial intelligence, and called to set up a chief coordinating body. "Otherwise," he said, "we will discover that we have lost our leading position."
MK Orit Farkash Hacohen (National Unity Party), chair of the Subcommittee on Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technologies, said "In my [previous] role as Minister of Innovation I advanced a broad national plan for artificial intelligence, but it was not approved due to the change of governments. The need for regulation and cooperation is only increasing, and the State of Israel cannot afford to lag behind."
Gadi Arieli, Director General of the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, said "Since the [current] minister has entered office, the ministry has taken upon itself to make the field of artificial intelligence accessible to the public. We are working on a plan that will integrate artificial intelligence into the curriculum - beginning in kindergarten - and in local authorities, but the gap between the progress that is being made globally, and the progress in Israel, is noticeable. We have to step up the efforts."
Another official from the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology said, "Israel's international status is far from being dire. The issue is a top priority for the ministry, and this year we have seen many achievements, despite the war. We are ranked fourth in [AI-related] start-ups, and fourth in groundbreaking [AI] advancements, similar [to Israel's ranking] in the field of research. We were among the first to embed artificial intelligence in government agencies."