Shalev Hulio, the former NSO Group chief who created the Pegasus spyware, is now urging governments to develop their own AI models instead of relying on U.S. tech firms. “Every government should have their own model,” Hulio told the Financial Times, warning that foreign providers could abruptly cut access, since AI is critical infrastructure. His new venture Dream, founded in 2022 with ex-Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz, offers AI-powered cyber defense products. Sphere protects government networks, Hero autonomously patches vulnerabilities, and Atlas lets nations build custom AI models on local infrastructure.
Dream has raised over $400 million and was valued at $3 billion in June, with backing from Bain Capital Ventures and Abu Dhabi’s Tau Capital. Hulio sees his Pegasus past as an asset, claiming NSO products helped prevent terror attacks. He predicted fully autonomous cyber attacks would emerge within five years; they arrived in three and a half.
Dream’s pitch reflects growing global concern over dependence on U.S. cloud and AI services.
Source: Financial Times Companies · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing