Israel plans a sovereign AI stack with 300,000 GPUs and its own foundation model

Israel is expanding its national AI action plan with a target of about 300,000 GPUs and a domestic foundation model, CTech reports. The plan seeks to reduce reliance on foreign companies for systems used in government, defense, academia and industry.

Erez Askal, head of the Israel National AI Directorate, said the country needs about two gigawatts of electricity capacity for AI infrastructure, data centers and semiconductor manufacturing. Of the proposed GPUs, 100,000 would serve domestic needs, while 200,000 would support technology companies and data centers.

The strategy also calls for an Israeli foundation model that can run within domestic systems and handle sensitive information. Israel has also issued a tender for a national quantum computer and established the National Institute for Impact-Driven AI to support uses in health care, education and transportation.

"If it's not your AI, you have no control over your country," Askal said at AI & Cyber Week at Tel Aviv University, adding that Israel will keep control of critical parts of the stack while working with international partners.