Israel, US aim to promote global standard on reliable AI
The first joint Israel-US high-level strategic dialogue on tech cooperation was held in the White House last week
The first high-level strategic dialogue on technology cooperation between Israel and the US was held last week (Wednesday) at the White House. The dialogue was agreed on during US President Joe Biden's visit to Israel this past July and in the Jerusalem Declaration, which was signed by Prime Minister Yair Lapid and President Joe Biden.
During the dialogue, discussions were held by several bilateral working groups, including on climate change, pandemic preparedness and AI, in which concrete steps for cooperation between the two countries were determined.
The working group on AI decided that a joint White House-Innovation, Science and Technology Ministry team would, in international forums such as the OECD, promote a global standard on reliable AI that encourages initiatives and innovation, and on unique cooperation with the US Department of Veterans Affairs to promote mental health among discharged soldiers.
The Israeli delegation to the Dialogue was led by Innovation, Science and Technology Minister Orit Farkash-Hacohen and National Security Council Director Dr. Eyal Hulata.
"Up until now, cooperation with the US has not fully utilized its potential. The joint research with the US has been only 19% of Israel's research with other countries, as opposed to 56% for Europe,” said Farkash-Hacohen.
“Good partners and allies, like Israel and the US, need and can take significant steps to increase the scope of the joint research that constitutes the basis for high-tech and that is what we are currently doing.”
"This important and rare event expresses both the importance that the two countries ascribe to technology and national security, as well as the even greater importance of bilateral cooperation on the issue,” said National Security Council Director Hulata.
“Together, the strengths of Israel and the US, countries of innovation and initiative, have a better chance of meeting the challenges before us."
“In both Israel and the US, the understanding is that the global – as well as national – challenges of both countries are in advanced technology. I am proud that we jumpstarted an historic process with the American administration in which Israel has joined the select group of a few countries that share a strategic process on technology with the US,” said Israeli Prime Minister, Yair Lapid, in a statement.
The working group will meet during COP27 to formulate procedures to implement the three plans. It was also decided to establish a joint team with the USDA to develop uses in AI in order to identify agricultural growths that could be damaged as a result of climate change and to use AI in order to make genetic modifications so as to create crops that are more resistant to climate change.