A heated debate is raging in Israel over the country’s lack of preparedness for the artificial intelligence revolution that experts warn could leave its workforce in the digital dust.

One by one, the top Israeli minds from business and government sounded the alarm about the incoming AI revolution during a Knesset subcommittee on Monday. While some experts offered a more optimistic view of workers retraining for new, AI-complementary jobs, the overall mood was one of crisis.

“These are our last days as the most intelligent creatures on Earth,” lamented Daniel Schreiber, co-founder of insurance agency Lemonade. “In nearly every cognitive function, AI approaches or surpasses human level. Employers will inevitably choose machines over people.”

Microsoft’s chief scientist in Israel, Tomer Simon, delivered a similarly dire warning, cautioning that the free market will be “unable to cope” as AI renders entire job sectors obsolete.

“The Government has to intervene so that we will become a world power in AI,” Simon urged Israeli lawmakers. “We have the potential for double-digit growth…if the government invests in preparing.”

As Silicon Valley giants pour untold billions into catalyzing a geopolitical AI arms race, there are global widespread concerns that AI automation could lead to significant job losses across various sectors. A recent OECD study estimates that around 14% of jobs across 32 countries, including Israel, are highly automatable.