Wikistrat recently interviewed Prof. Isaac Ben Israel, an internationally renowned expert on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and national security on the role of AI and autonomous weapons in modern warfare, and Israel's involvement in next-gen technology and national security.
Isaac Ben-Israel served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for over three decades
before retiring at the rank of Major General in 2002. During his career he served as
the chief of the Operations Research Branch of the Israeli Air Force (IAF), head of the
Analysis and Assessment Division of IAF Intelligence, and head of Military R&D for
the IDF and Ministry of Defense (1991-1997). In January 1998, he was promoted to
Director of the Defense R&D Directorate in the Ministry of Defense.
Ben-Israel is an internationally renowned expert on artificial intelligence, cyber security,
and national security, and he has had a profound impact on Israel’s technological
innovation and the defense establishment. Since retiring from the military, he has held
a variety of roles in the public and private sectors, notably as a member of the 17th
Knesset (2007-2009) and the head of the Israel Space Agency since 2005. He currently
teaches at Tel Aviv University where he is the Director of the Blavatnik Interdisciplinary
Cyber Research Center.