Israel Supercomputer to Support AI Capabilities
Israel will open a tender to establish its first supercomputer to support its artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities.
- The government is worried that others will use AI against it otherwise.
- The region fears what this means for their upgraded military AI capabilities.
Next month, Israel will be opening bids on a project to build its first supercomputer, triggering fears of further destruction in the region.
Technological advancements often end up weaponized in times of war and conflict as seen over the last 8 months. While the world became truly aware of the atrocities only after October 7th, Israel has been using technology to assert its dominance and cause the destruction of the Palestinian land and people for the last 75 years.
A former deputy in Israel’s National Security Network, Itamar Yar, even admitted that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) get the first pick at new technologies. They test it, “sometimes in ongoing operations,” and then give their suggestions. They then quickly purchase the final product if it’s good.
The recent escalations proved how capable they were in technological warfare, from $3 billion worth of Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets to their infamous Iron Dome and David’s Sling. They even used advanced drones to target Gaza and other areas in the surrounding countries like Lebanon. But it wasn’t until later in the fight that we saw the year’s most popular innovation, AI, in action in ways we wished we never did.
The most terrifying one, however, dates to April of 2024 when it came out that Israeli forces were using the Lavender AI system to determine potential targets in Gaza. it reportedly identified 37,000 potential targets based on their suspected links to Hamas. It is also suspected that they sourced the needed data from Meta’s WhatsApp.
So, while the world was using AI to write essays and generate weird pictures of puppies, the IDF was using it for pure destruction. And now, they might be back at it again, wanting to build a supercomputer to bolster their AI ranking.
Supercomputers to Support AI
The Israel Innovation Authority (IIA), which promotes technological research and development within Israel, is inviting groups to bid on a supercomputer project next month. The winner will work on establishing the country’s first supercomputer to support its AI goals and ambitions.
The AI/supercomputer project stems from Israel’s worry that other countries will use the technology against it if it doesn’t maintain its high ranking in the AI field. Dror Bin, the chief executive of the IIA, said at an AI conference that the goal “is to make sure and to secure that Israel sustains its leadership, ranking, and position in the AI race in the world.”
In fact, after the U.S. and the U.K., Israel is third globally in terms of generative AI (GenAI) companies, with 73 of the 1,900 companies producing large and complex models for specific uses being Israel.
Bin pointed out that the supercomputer meant to bolster Israel’s AI capabilities will be made available for researchers and companies at lower than market cost.
If Only
Supercomputers’ architecture and capabilities make them important for scientific research, and space exploration, among other things. Most notably, a supercomputer is particularly helpful in the AI sector. They can process massive datasets and complex algorithms at unparalleled speeds. As a result, they can develop and train AI models faster than usual, especially those that need vast amounts of data or intricate calculations.
Beyond that, the presence of a domestic supercomputer will be a game-changer for Israeli researchers, companies, and startups. From here, you can see the brilliance of this initiative. However, considering Israel’s track record of using anything and everything, even GPS, for selfish and often destructive purposes, this initiative is aspiring fear instead of hope in the hearts of the millions living in the region.
Had this initiative been in another country under different circumstances, AI enthusiasts may have been much more excited about the supercomputer. But the truth is that it’s Israel while it’s engaged in a seemingly endless war with Palestine.
Civilians are unfortunately paying the price of their technological prowess with their blood and the heartbeats of their children as the Israeli government fights everyone indiscriminately. And there is fear that the supercomputer will cause more harm and destruction to a population holding on by a thread and a prayer.
Final Thoughts
Scientists and developers pour their hearts and souls into their work, just for their whole worldview to come crashing down on them when they realize that they contributed to the death of millions. In other parts of the world, supercomputers are being used to find cures and safely send people to space. Meanwhile, others live in fear of what a supercomputer means for their lifespan.
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