Before founding AI21, Ori served in a cybersecurity unit in the Israeli military. He cannot discuss specifics, but he describes an experience that shaped him.
As a young soldier, he was told a project would require multiple teams and several years. Leadership responded by asking for it in two weeks. Ori and a colleague, who is now AI21’s CTO, delivered it.
That experience of tackling the impossible under extreme constraints created the mindset required to build an AI company.
It is also why he sees similarities between Israel’s military culture and startup execution. Ambitious goals, creativity under pressure and high ownership are core traits in both environments.
Where Israel Fits in the Global AI Map
When people talk about the AI race, the conversation usually centers on the United States and China. Ori believes the picture is more complex.
He points to the Middle East as a potential third center of gravity. Countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia are investing massive sums in AI infrastructure. What they lack is deep technical talent. Israel has that talent. Israel lacks large-scale infrastructure.
If regional geopolitics eventually align, a combined ecosystem of Israeli talent and Gulf investment could create a new powerhouse.
It will not happen overnight, but the possibility exists.
Why Israel Needs a National AI Strategy
Israel’s strength has always been in applied innovation. But Ori argues that being only an application layer is not enough in AI. To compete globally, Israel must participate in the invention of core AI technologies.
That requires two things.
First, massive GPU infrastructure inside the country. Without compute, research cannot happen, and startups cannot experiment.
Second, a stronger academic foundation. Israeli AI publications are far fewer than those produced at a single American university such as Stanford. The country needs more research groups, stronger incentives for early researchers and better conditions to bring Israeli postdocs home.
He notes that other regions already offer creative solutions.
In the US, funds trade compute for equity.
In France, national compute infrastructure is given freely to new AI companies that commit to staying in the country.
Israel needs its own mechanisms.
The Path Forward
When asked what Israel should do, Ori’s answer is immediate.
“Infrastructure first.”
Deploy GPUs. Connect them to academia and industry. Build a real national strategy. Educate the workforce to become AI native. Then allow innovation to emerge from a foundation strong enough to support it.
This is not a luxury. It is a necessity. AI is now a matter of national competitiveness.
A Closing Thought
AI21 Labs did not appear because of a trend. It appeared because its founders saw early that AI needed to become more reliable, more structured and more grounded in real use cases.
That perspective now feels ahead of its time.
The global AI landscape is evolving quickly. But if Israel builds the infrastructure, fosters the research culture and leverages its talent, it has a chance to shape not only applications, but the foundation of the next generation of AI.Before founding AI21, Ori served in a cybersecurity unit in the Israeli military. He cannot discuss specifics, but he describes an experience that shaped him.
As a young soldier, he was told a project would require multiple teams and several years. Leadership responded by asking for it in two weeks. Ori and a colleague, who is now AI21’s CTO, delivered it.
That experience of tackling the impossible under extreme constraints created the mindset required to build an AI company.
It is also why he sees similarities between Israel’s military culture and startup execution. Ambitious goals, creativity under pressure and high ownership are core traits in both environments.
