JERUSALEM, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Israel has decided to formulate a national plan to strengthen the development of artificial intelligence (AI), the country's Finance Ministry announced in a statement on Monday.
The decision was made against the background of the global race for leadership in the field of AI, according to the statement.
The plan includes the promotion of AI in academia, research and development, as well as industry, with the goal to enhance Israel's strength in this strategic field that has become a platform and basis for world economies and thus generate revenues for the Israeli economy, the statement said.
Promoting AI is a condition for the continued prosperity of research and hi-tech and their expansion into other fields of industry for accelerating growth and raising productivity, it noted.
The plan was agreed by Israeli Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Innovation, Science and Technology Minister Orit Farkash-Hacohen, and is expected to be presented in a month.
"Taking part in the global development of AI is expected to reward the Israeli citizens in the long run," Lieberman said.
"Investment in future development is expected to be a significant force multiplier in the future development of the Israeli economy," he added.
"Artificial intelligence is the basis for the future of Israel's science and hi-tech ... Its use has become critical in almost every field," Farkash-Hacohen noted.
The new plan is expected to strengthen a previous national AI program Israel launched in 2020, according to the statement.
The amount of investment on the plan is not ready for publication yet, according to the spokesperson of Farkash-Hacohen.
According to the statement, the amount of investment on the plan will be included in the state budget for 2023-2024, and the government plans to present the budget to parliament for approval in September. ■
