Netanyahu convenes new special committee focused on national AI strategy

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held an inaugural meeting of the Nagel Committee for advising on “accelerating the development of artificial intelligence in Israel from a national perspective,” the Prime Minister’s Office says.

At the meeting, attended by the cabinet secretary, science and technology minister, and senior PMO officials, Netanyahu “emphasized the urgency and strategic importance of the committee’s work and instructed that its recommendations be finalized as quickly as possible,” the statement adds.

The committee is chaired by Brigadier General (Res.) Prof. Jacob Nagel, a close associate of Netanyahu who chaired a special committee for determining the direction of Israel’s military force design earlier this year, and includes a team of interdisciplinary experts, the PMO says in a statement.

It says that the committee will “propose an initial national strategy and outline ways to accelerate AI development, including the establishment of a new body within the Prime Minister’s Office dedicated to this mission,” says the PMO.

The panel “will define the nature, functions, and responsibilities of the new entity, recommend a preliminary work plan, determine its scope of activity and authority, and propose mechanisms for coordination with relevant government agencies, the private sector, and academia,” the PMO says, adding that the premier thanked committee members for their role in “positioning the country as a global AI powerhouse.”