Palo Alto became the epicenter of Indo-Israeli tech diplomacy on February 11, as over 130 leaders from startups, venture capital, and cybersecurity convened for the ‘India-Israel AI-Cybersecurity Connect.’ Co-organized by the consulates of India and Israel in San Francisco alongside Venture Dock, the forum propelled forward trilateral ties in AI and cyber defenses between India, the US, and Israel.
Experts grappled with AI’s promise and pitfalls, centering on how cybersecurity can protect AI advancements and vice versa. Dr. K. Srikar Reddy, India’s top diplomat in San Francisco, celebrated the deepening tech synergies. He positioned the trio of nations as innovation vanguard, stressing responsible AI development for worldwide prosperity. Reddy spotlighted New Delhi’s forthcoming AI Impact Summit, a global gathering themed around equitable progress in health and learning via AI.
Marco Sermoneta, Israel’s regional consul, traced the arc of bilateral relations from their 1990s inception to today’s vibrant collaborations in AI, academia, and startups—fueled by Silicon Valley’s collaborative ecosystem, joint programs, and innovation challenges.
Zscaler CEO Jay Chaudhry delivered a sobering keynote, framing AI as the next seismic tech wave. Drawing parallels to elite surgeons, he urged precision in cybersecurity amid AI’s productivity boom and hacker allure. Foreseeing enterprise-wide AI agent deployments, he warned of systemic vulnerabilities. Success, he preached, stems from grit, fervor, and curated influences.
In panels on AI-era defenses, Lightspeed’s Guru Chahal pinpointed skilled workforce shortages as the sector’s Achilles’ heel. Those pioneering AI to cultivate talent, he forecasted, will forge tomorrow’s tech giants.
The event not only fortified bilateral bridges but also charted a course for resilient digital futures, blending Eastern ingenuity with Israeli resilience and American venture spirit.