Next month, Israel will initiate a tender to build its first supercomputer, aiming to secure its position as a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. This announcement was made by the CEO of the state-backed Israel Innovation Authority on Wednesday.
The government has allocated $250 million for a national AI program that integrates efforts from government, industry, and academia. The project, slated for 60% completion by 2024 and full completion by 2027, may see further funding increases.
Tech is crucial to Israel’s economy, contributing 20% of its economic output. The nation is recognized as a major global tech hub. Of Israel’s 9,000 startups, over 2,200 leverage AI technologies. With 73 generative AI firms, Israel ranks third globally.
“Our goal is to ensure Israel maintains its leadership and competitive edge in the global AI race,” the CEO emphasized. A supercomputer for training large AI models is critical to this objective.
Currently, Israeli high-tech companies and researchers must rely on purchasing cloud time due to the absence of a local data centre with adequate GPU capacity for model training. The new supercomputer will bridge this gap, providing essential computational power domestically.
The supercomputer will be accessible to researchers and companies at below-market costs, fostering innovation and development in AI across Israel.
This move represents a significant step in strengthening Israel’s AI infrastructure, positioning it to drive future technological advancements and maintain its standing as a global AI leader.