Full Breakdown
Israeli Computer Science Conference Marks AI-Driven Shift and Launches New National Association
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National Conference and New Association
More than 700 computer-science professionals and students gathered Thursday for the national conference organized by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev’s Stein Faculty of Computer and Information Science. The event celebrated the faculty’s first anniversary—established in 2025—and introduced the Israeli Computer Science Association, a body intended to create a national framework for Israel’s academic and professional computer-science community. For its initial two years the association will be administered by Ben-Gurion University, after which leadership is slated to rotate among Israeli universities.
Awards Recognizing Outstanding Research
The conference featured the inaugural Israeli Computer Science Association awards, presented on October 8, 2026. The awards committee, chaired by Prof. Yuval Filmus, selected four recipients: Dr. Haggai Maron of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Dr. Oded Padon of the Weizmann Institute of Science, Dr. Yuval Dagan of Tel Aviv University, and Dr. Liat Peterfreund of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Official Statements on AI’s Impact
Prof. Shakhar Smorodinsky, head of the Institute for the Theory of Computing at Ben-Gurion University and chairman of the new association, argued that artificial intelligence does not render computer science obsolete. He emphasized that while AI tools improve code generation, the discipline’s core tasks—defining problems, developing algorithms, designing systems, verifying correctness and safety, and understanding model limitations—remain essential. Mobileye CEO Prof. Amnon Shashua also addressed the audience, discussing the development of machine intelligence and its implications for researchers and experts.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Artificial intelligence does not make computer science obsolete. It is ushering in the golden age of the field,” — Prof. Shakhar Smorodinsky
- “Writing code is only one part of computer science. As AI tools become better at writing code, the ability to define problems, develop algorithms, design systems, verify correctness and safety, and understand the limitations of the models themselves becomes increasingly important,” — Prof. Shakhar Smorodinsky