Governments must stop relying on external American technology companies and immediately begin developing their own sovereign artificial intelligence infrastructure. That is the warning coming from Shalev Hulio, the controversial co-founder and former chief executive of NSO Group, the Israeli firm behind the infamous Pegasus spyware.
Hulio argues that artificial intelligence has rapidly evolved into a piece of critical national infrastructure. Letting outside entities control those underlying models creates massive geopolitical vulnerabilities. According to Hulio, nations cannot take the risk that a foreign provider might unexpectedly shut off access to vital systems overnight. Every government needs total autonomy over its own digital capabilities to protect state secrets and maintain operational security.
This stark warning marks a pivot for Hulio, who stepped away from commercial spyware to launch Dream in 2022 alongside former Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz. Dream focuses heavily on AI-enabled cyber defense tools, automated vulnerability discovery platforms, and bespoke sovereign AI models designed specifically for government use. Backed by substantial funding and a multi-billion dollar valuation, Dream currently pitches its narrow, high-speed models to state entities across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
The push for localized infrastructure arrives as global tensions mount around state-sponsored cyber warfare. Dream recently claimed credit for detecting an autonomous end-to-end cyberattack orchestrated against Taiwanese government agencies using open-source models. As nations grapple with securing critical networks against increasingly sophisticated digital threats, the debate over who controls the underlying artificial intelligence infrastructure will likely remain at the forefront of international defense strategy.
Pegasus Spyware Founder Urges Governments to Build Sovereign AI
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