Israel’s AI chief warns foreign technology dependence could erode sovereignty
Erez Askal urged Israel to develop domestic AI capabilities and data centers while balancing overseas partnerships with control over critical infrastructure.
By Evelyn Adeyemi ·
Israel and other nations risk surrendering substantial control over their affairs to foreign companies within five to seven years unless they prepare to manage artificial intelligence in essential infrastructure, Israel’s AI chief Erez Askal warned on Monday, November 9. Speaking at Tel Aviv University’s AI conference, he said electricity, water, healthcare and other services would increasingly be operated through AI.
Askal warned that relying on foreign multinational companies for those systems could leave Israel dependent on overseas providers for services vital to functioning during a complex geopolitical crisis. With leading AI companies based in the United States, China and elsewhere abroad, he called for faster development of Israeli capabilities and the data centers needed to support them.
His proposed approach combines cooperation with major international AI producers and domestic control over the technology used in critical infrastructure. Israel must adopt AI to keep pace with global developments and customer expectations, he said, while protecting its independence. Managing the tension between fast technological progress and carefully considered integration would be the central challenge ahead.
The warning follows government approval in June of a broad package of AI policies with potential implications for employment, education and other areas of Israeli life. The Jerusalem Post reported that month that, despite Israel’s strength in cybersecurity and its use of AI within that sector, the country was trailing in the wider AI field and working to close the gap.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed Askal, a reserve brigadier general and former commander of intelligence Unit 9900, as Israel’s first AI chief on October 12, 2025. He was tasked with working alongside Israel National Cyber Directorate chief Yossi Karadi. Since his appointment, Askal has been identifying areas requiring development and assessing how Israeli strengths could support a campaign extending over several years.
According to The Jerusalem Post, the AI bureau has identified particular advantages in combining cybersecurity with AI and developing practical applications for use in the field. Potential applications include drones, emergency room surgery and classrooms. At a June 2 conference, Askal argued that applying AI to physical systems, including aircraft and drip irrigation, offered Israel an important source of growth.
Askal initially received a budget of NIS 120 million, largely intended for 2026, and 20 positions to establish the directorate. Annual allocations of NIS 13 million for salaries and operating expenses were due to begin in 2027, although spending could be adjusted to reflect needs. The bureau aims to encourage domestic solutions, help Israeli businesses develop products for physical manufacture, support regulation that preserves innovation, and apply big data and machine learning to practical problems.
The Jerusalem Post attributed Israel’s slower start partly to limited space for data centers, fewer natural resources to meet their substantial energy requirements, and the heavy government involvement required by major AI projects. Unlike cybersecurity, where private businesses helped drive progress before the government followed, those projects require substantial public investment and intervention. The bureau is therefore seeking to coordinate private companies around more clearly defined national AI priorities.
