Israel to allocate 133 mln USD to promote AI development

JERUSALEM, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) — Israel will invest half a billion shekels (about 133 million U.S. dollars) in infrastructure for artificial intelligence (AI) research and development, the Israel Innovation Authority said in a statement on Tuesday.
The funds, part of a national AI program, will be invested in enhancing AI integration in the public sector, including the creation of a knowledge hub to support government ministries and local authorities.
They will also support the establishment of a national AI research institute and the launch of projects that connect research advancements with industry and defense applications.
Additionally, the allocation aims to strengthen human capital by developing specialized AI training programs within the military and attracting international experts to Israel. Significant resources will be dedicated to leveraging existing data repositories to accelerate AI research and innovation, alongside transformative high-tech projects.
The authority also plans to enhance academic faculty by offering advanced degree scholarships to boost AI research capabilities, while also tackling regulation, ethics, and international collaboration in the field. ■