Prof. Ami Moyal is the President of Afeka School of Engineering and the newly elected Chairman of the Israeli Council for Larger Training’s Planning & Budgeting Committee. He holds a Ph.D. in Electrical & Pc Engineering from Ben-Gurion College and is an skilled in computerized speech recognition. Earlier than turning into Afeka’s President in 2014, he based the Afeka Middle for Language Processing and led the College of Electrical Engineering. As President, he’s devoted to remodeling engineering training by implementing curriculum reforms, revolutionary pedagogy, {industry} collaborations, and restructured studying environments to boost graduates’ workforce readiness whereas fostering a tradition of excellence and pleasure in studying.
Together with your intensive background in each academia and {industry}—having led Afeka School of Engineering and beforehand serving as CEO of Pure Speech Communication—how have you ever seen Israel’s AI panorama evolve through the years, and what key shifts stand out to you at present?
All through my profession in high-tech and academia I’ve witnessed a exceptional transformation in Israel’s AI panorama. Within the early 2000s once I led a speech recognition firm, AI applied sciences had been targeted on particular know-how functions like speech recognition and pc imaginative and prescient, largely invisible to most people.
In the present day, AI has moved from specialised functions to turning into foundational throughout nearly each sector. Essentially the most important shift has been the democratization of AI instruments. After we developed speech recognition know-how, these techniques required important experience and sources in growth and utilization was modest. Now, with instruments like ChatGPT, AI capabilities are accessible to just about everybody.
From my present place main an engineering faculty, I see AI reshaping academic processes, in addition to analysis and work processes. We’re shifting past merely instructing AI to integrating AI-powered instruments into how we train all topics, whereas making ready college students for an AI-augmented office. The main focus has shifted from merely imparting data to growing crucial competencies – an umbrella time period for data, expertise and values.
As AI handles extra routine duties, distinctly human talents like crucial pondering, creativity, moral judgment, and interpersonal expertise have gotten more and more beneficial. This represents maybe probably the most profound shift: recognizing that as AI capabilities develop, human expertise change into extra, not much less, very important.
Given your expertise main each a speech recognition firm and an instructional establishment, what synergies do you see between academia and {industry} in accelerating AI innovation in Israel?
Having labored on the intersection of academia and {industry}, I’ve noticed a number of highly effective connections that may speed up AI innovation.
First, there is a useful cycle of expertise growth and data switch between academia and {industry}. At Afeka for instance, we educate college students with cutting-edge AI expertise who then be part of {industry}, whereas {industry} professionals usually be part of as adjunct school, bringing sensible insights that preserve our curriculum and academic course of related and up to date.
Second, collaborative analysis initiatives between academia and {industry} speed up innovation. Throughout my time in speech recognition know-how, we participated in worldwide analysis partnerships alongside tutorial establishments. This expertise knowledgeable my strategy when establishing the Afeka Middle for Language Processing, the place we performed utilized analysis tasks with {industry} companions by joint funding mechanisms that foster academia-industry collaborations.
Particularly, within the AI subject, apart from expertise we want large-scale databases and large computing energy. Academia-industry cooperation relating to these crucial wants can positively speed up the usage of AI and innovation.
In the present day we’re seeing how these relationships are evolving with the democratization of AI instruments. Essentially the most profitable AI improvements in Israel emerge when tutorial excellence meets entrepreneurial problem-solving. As AI continues to remodel industries, strengthening these connections can be important for sustaining Israel’s aggressive edge.
How has DeepSeek’s latest breakthrough—proving that cutting-edge AI may be developed with out billion-dollar budgets—modified the aggressive panorama for Israeli startups?
DeepSeek’s answer reinforces what I’ve all the time believed: ingenuity can usually outweigh monetary energy. This is a vital reinforcement of Israel’s aggressive benefit which has all the time been its high-quality human useful resource pool. When innovation relies upon extra on mental capital than monetary capital, Israel’s distinctive expertise pool turns into much more beneficial.
Examples like DeepSeek reveal that Israeli startups can take part in foundational mannequin growth moderately than being restricted to constructing functions on current platforms. This opens alternatives for startups to create specialised AI options in industries the place Israel already has robust area experience—comparable to cybersecurity, healthcare, and agricultural know-how.
That mentioned, growing superior AI fashions nonetheless requires substantial experience and sources. The barrier has been lowered, not eradicated. From an academic perspective, this highlights the significance of instructing not simply AI fundamentals but additionally ideas of environment friendly implementation.
Israel has a protracted historical past of technological innovation. What distinctive components inside Israel’s startup ecosystem allow AI and tech corporations to change into so profitable?
Israel’s success in technological innovation stems from a singular mixture of things which have created the “Startup Nation” phenomenon.
First is Israel’s distinctive human capital. Navy service usually gives beneficial technical coaching, however it additionally develops resilience, management, teamwork, and strategic pondering. By faculty, Israelis are already ready for challenges with a maturity that enhances their capability to succeed.
Our cultural mindset is one other essential issue. Israel has all the time confronted advanced challenges with restricted sources, fostering a tradition that values resourcefulness, adaptability, and inventive problem-solving—what we name “chutzpah.” Failure is usually considered as a stepping stone moderately than a setback.
Moreover, our small geographical measurement creates distinctive networking alternatives. With brief distances between tutorial establishments, tech hubs, and funding facilities, relationships kind simply. In Israel, in the event you do not personally know somebody, you positively know somebody who is aware of them. This close-knit setting permits concepts and experience to flow into effectively all through our innovation ecosystem, accelerating collaboration and growth.
Lastly, as a result of our small home market, Israeli startups suppose globally from day one, designing options for worldwide markets. This international mindset encourages formidable pondering and options that deal with common challenges.
With many reservists getting back from army service, how do you see battlefield innovation influencing the following wave of AI startups in Israel?
At Afeka alone, over 44% of our pupil physique was known as up for reserve responsibility in the course of the latest battle. Whereas difficult, this example presents distinctive alternatives for Israel’s future in technological innovation that can affect the following wave of AI startups:
Battlefield expertise has strengthened the significance of AI techniques which can be each strong and resilient, whereas fixing real-life issues with quick affect. When lives rely on know-how functioning appropriately beneath unpredictable circumstances, it creates a wholly completely different normal for reliability and transparency.
I additionally anticipate innovation in human-AI collaboration. In high-pressure situations, the connection between human operators and AI techniques turns into crucial—understanding when to belief automated suggestions versus when human judgment ought to prevail.
Nonetheless, for this innovation potential to be realized, it is important that these reservists full their levels. At Afeka, we have applied complete assist for returning reservists to make sure they’ll full their training on time.
What are some standout Israeli AI startups that you simply imagine will make a worldwide affect within the subsequent few years?
Whereas I do not carefully monitor particular startups, I can spotlight a number of areas the place Israeli AI corporations are positioned to make important international affect, particularly in mild of the present circumstances: Cybersecurity, constructing on Israel’s well-established experience on this area; Healthcare and medical know-how, the place Israeli startups are making use of AI to remodel diagnostics and therapy, with a latest deal with emergency drugs; Protection and homeland safety functions, leveraging operational expertise to create simpler techniques.
Nonetheless, what distinguishes probably the most promising Israeli AI startups is not simply their technical capabilities however their deal with fixing significant issues with clear societal affect.
It is also essential for educational institutes to be agile and preserve open dialogue with {industry} to concentrate on rising developments and replace curricula accordingly. In anticipation of the expansion in AI applied sciences, Afeka established a brand new College of Knowledge Science and Clever Techniques to arrange graduates with the specialised expertise wanted for the AI-driven financial system.
Afeka School lately performed a research highlighting AI proficiency as probably the most sought-after ability in Israel’s high-tech sector. Have been there any key findings that stood out to you, and the way is Afeka adapting its curriculum to arrange college students for this AI-driven job market?
Our annual Expertise Index survey revealed an fascinating paradox in Israel’s high-tech sector. Whereas 55% of high-tech managers recognized AI proficiency as their prime private growth precedence, solely 7-9% at present take into account it important when hiring new staff. This implies we’re in a transitional interval the place AI adoption is primarily pushed by particular person initiative moderately than structured organizational methods.
AI is now not confined to specialised roles—it is turning into a basic competency throughout nearly all high-tech positions. But organizations are nonetheless determining how one can formalize these necessities.
On the similar time, conventional engineering expertise are nonetheless extremely valued. For prime-tech positions, the flexibility to work independently topped the record (61%), adopted by problem-solving capabilities and self-directed studying.
At Afeka, we’re taking motion in two methods. We’re encouraging school to include AI ideas and instruments into their programs, whereas strengthening our deal with foundational expertise that employers constantly worth.
Some programs, for instance, have been fully redesigned. In our Language Processing course, college students now not write fundamental code that AI can simply generate. As a substitute, they take AI-generated code to extra subtle ranges, making use of it to unravel advanced issues whereas growing a crucial understanding of the know-how’s limitations.
Our College of Knowledge Science and AI addresses specialised training, however we acknowledge that each one engineers want familiarity with AI no matter their specialization.
Past technical AI expertise, what different competencies (e.g., crucial pondering, management, communication) are important for professionals working in an AI-powered financial system?
As AI capabilities develop, distinctly human talents change into extra beneficial, not much less.
Important pondering is probably probably the most important ability in an AI-powered financial system. When working with techniques that may generate convincing however doubtlessly flawed outputs, professionals must fastidiously consider data, establish inconsistencies, and validate outcomes in opposition to real-world data.
Moreover, whereas AI is nice at sample recognition and optimization inside outlined parameters, breakthrough improvements usually require inventive “out-of-the-box” pondering that helps envision novel functions and approaches that AI would not generate independently.
Communication can be an essential ability. Engineers are now not confined to growing algorithms, they need to clarify the potential, capabilities and limitations of the applied sciences they develop successfully, precisely and persuasively, usually to non-technical decision-makers.
With the accelerating tempo of technological change, engineers must repeatedly replace their understanding. This has additionally elevated the significance of self-directed studying.
Collaboration throughout disciplines has additionally change into more and more essential as AI functions span conventional boundaries. Engineers must work successfully with area specialists, enterprise strategists, and designers, integrating numerous insights to develop complete options.
The moral dimensions of AI growth add one other needed competency. Engineers should take into account the implications of their work on society, on folks, on the setting, and so forth. establish potential biases, and make accountable design decisions.
How do you see the position of engineering training evolving to make sure Israel stays a frontrunner in AI innovation?
Competencies comparable to—crucial pondering, creativity, communication, teamwork, self-directed studying and moral judgment—should change into central to engineering training if Israel is to keep up its management in AI innovation. This requires a basic transformation in how we put together engineers for the workforce.
At Afeka, we have pioneered a competency-based academic mannequin that begins by defining the “graduate profile”—the entire set of information, skilled expertise, private expertise and values engineers want within the trendy office. This profile serves as our compass, guiding all features of the academic expertise towards growing these competencies in our college students.
All components of the graduate profile, together with private expertise have been integrated as studying outcomes of our curricula by a gradual course of of accelerating proficiency. We map how every course contributes to constructing these competencies, making a cohesive studying journey that culminates in graduates who possess each technical experience and the private expertise wanted for skilled success.
This strategy represents a shift from data switch to competency growth. Whereas technical data and expertise stay important, the flexibility to use that data in advanced, real-world situations is what really differentiates profitable engineers. We have moved past conventional lecture codecs to include extra project-based studying, {industry} collaborations, and interdisciplinary challenges that develop problem-solving talents alongside technical expertise.
The Afeka Framework for STEM Training, which we have developed based mostly on our expertise reworking engineering training, provides a strategy that may be utilized throughout the academic continuum. By defining graduate profiles at every academic stage and aligning studying experiences accordingly, we will strengthen Israel’s human capital pipeline from Pre-Ok by skilled growth.
What developments do you anticipate shaping Israel’s AI {industry} in 2025 and past?
The democratization of AI growth and utilization will proceed, enabling smaller groups to create subtle options with out large budgets. This pattern performs to Israel’s conventional benefits in agility and inventive problem-solving. Our innovation ecosystem thrives on small, agile groups tackling particular challenges—precisely the setting the place these extra accessible AI growth approaches can flourish.
I count on the battlefield improvements rising from our present battle will affect the following wave of AI startups in Israel. As I discussed earlier, the expertise of growing know-how beneath excessive circumstances creates a singular perspective on necessities like robustness, reliability, and human-AI collaboration.
The expertise panorama will evolve considerably as effectively. Whereas demand for AI experience will intensify, the definition of that experience will broaden past specialised researchers to incorporate area specialists who can successfully apply AI of their fields. This shift aligns with the hole we recognized in our Expertise Index between managers’ rising curiosity in AI and present hiring practices—we’re witnessing the start of a extra complete integration of AI throughout skilled roles.
Lastly, I count on AI to play an more and more central position in nationwide resilience. The latest battle has highlighted the crucial significance of technological capabilities and the necessity for optimum steadiness between people and AI in guaranteeing safety and sustaining important providers. We’ll doubtless see higher funding in AI functions that improve infrastructure safety, emergency response, and demanding techniques.
Success will rely on our capability to adapt our instructional techniques, preserve our entrepreneurial tradition, and proceed growing the human capital that has all the time been Israel’s best useful resource.
