Tech Entrepreneur Declines Knesset Seat, Will Serve as AI Minister

Tech entrepreneur Oren Dobronsky announced Tuesday that he will not run for the Knesset on the Likud party list in the upcoming elections, despite an offer from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a protected spot in the top ten and a ministerial role focused on artificial intelligence.

Dobronsky stated that Netanyahu had approached him two months prior to join the Likud slate. While acknowledging the offer for a guaranteed Knesset seat and the position of Minister for AI Affairs, Dobronsky explained his decision to decline the Knesset membership. He expressed a preference to serve solely as a professional minister, believing this role would allow him to best utilize his experience and contribute to Israel's development as an AI superpower.

Dobronsky intends to continue working closely with Netanyahu outside of the Knesset to advance Israel's AI capabilities. The announcement follows reports from last month indicating Netanyahu's intention to appoint Dobronsky to a government role in artificial intelligence, tasked with leading the field across various sectors including the economy, education, medicine, and finance.

Reports prior to Dobronsky's announcement also suggested that his American citizenship was a factor. Entering the Knesset would have required him to renounce his U.S. citizenship. Dobronsky did not mention the citizenship issue in his statement, framing his decision as a personal preference to focus on his professional expertise as a minister rather than a Knesset member.