While examining investment options in Israel, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stressed the significant role Israel is prepared to play in lowering risks related to artificial intelligence (AI).

New site in Israel; Image: The Times of Israel

Altman just finished a trip to Europe, where he met with government officials to talk about the advantages and disadvantages of artificial intelligence. He is now scheduled to visit Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, India, and South Korea.

According to Stanford University research, Israel is among the top five nations for substantial machine learning systems and the concentration of AI capabilities.

During a discussion with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Altman voiced encouragement over the deliberate methods, intensity, and urgency displayed by world leaders in reducing the significant risks connected with AI.

Altman praised the extraordinary effort being made to realize the technology's advantages and voiced faith in Israel's ability to be a key player.

When asked about opening a local office during a visit to Microsoft's R&D facility in Israel, Altman stated that the ideal is to work together in one location while also looking into different investment opportunities in Israel.

Global regulators have developed legislation addressing safety issues related to the technology in response to generative AI's rapid growth and popularity, as demonstrated by OpenAI's ChatGPT. The European Union is making progress, and its draft AI Act is anticipated to be passed into law later this year. In contrast, the United States tends to tweak existing laws rather than enact new ones to accommodate AI.

Ziv Katzir, Director of National AI Planning at the Israel Innovation Authority, remarked that Israel, like Britain and, to a large extent, Canada, finds itself positioned towards the U.S. end of the regulatory spectrum, balancing innovation with the protection of human rights and civic safeguards.

In October, Israel released a 115-page draft AI strategy, and it is now seeking public input before making a final decision.

However, Altman's trip to Israel does not include a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has come under fire from figures in the crucial IT industry of the nation for a very contentious attempt to reform the judicial system.