Opinion
If North Korea can do it, so can the Negev
"The rules of the labor market have changed before our eyes, and more people than ever can access technological jobs," writes Shai Meinrath, VP of High-Tech Growth at the DeserTech and Climate Innovation Center in the Negev.
A new report by Anthropic, the company behind the AI engine Claude, presents a fascinating yet unsettling story: in North Korea — the isolated and secretive state — the regime has managed to build a sophisticated system for generating national revenue by infiltrating remote tech jobs around the world. Local workers, with little to no real technological training and, according to the report, without even full command of English, were hired for global development and tech-support roles. They didn’t rely on their own skills but on artificial intelligence tools (Claude), which enabled them to appear as competent employees and deliver quality results. In doing so, they managed to generate millions of dollars in income for the regime.
At first glance, this phenomenon is both bizarre and dangerous — a totalitarian state exploiting technology for malicious purposes, undermining global trust, and distorting the labor market. But from another perspective, there’s a crucial lesson here for Israel. If even in North Korea they managed to integrate untrained people into complex technological positions with the help of AI, we too can do much more to increase participation of our own human capital from the periphery — especially the Negev — in the high-tech industry.
According to a report by Israel’s Employment Service, as of April 2025, there are 15,000 job seekers in high-tech professions, including experienced professionals. The real situation is likely worse, as many young tech workers aren’t registered with employment offices. Another report, published by the Israel Innovation Authority, shows that Israeli high-tech companies employ more than 400,000 workers abroad — while only about 2,500 engineers graduate each year from academic institutions in the Negev. For years, policymakers have discussed the need to integrate the Negev into the high-tech ecosystem. Different governments have announced programs to promote employment and connectivity, yet the reality remains that the overwhelming majority of high-tech jobs are still concentrated in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area. As a result, those who wish to join the industry must leave the south and move to the center, while the Negev continues to lag behind, with few genuine opportunities to become part of Israel’s innovation economy. Ironically, those opportunities are often given to foreign workers rather than to Israeli talents — from the south or the center — who are seeking jobs.
Anthropic’s report illustrates a simple truth: in an era when remote work is possible in almost every field, there are no more excuses. If workers in North Korea can successfully perform global roles, then surely in Israel — with proper training and support — people in the periphery can also integrate into high-quality positions at major companies, contribute to the tech industry at home and abroad, and build stable economic futures for themselves.
For that to happen, the state must take responsibility. It cannot leave this process solely to market forces. It should establish a managed talent pool — a coordinating body that identifies remote job opportunities in Israel and beyond, connects international companies seeking remote workers with candidates from the Negev, and provides essential training and tools to help them succeed. Such a move would undoubtedly help more people realize their economic potential and achieve higher income levels outside the center — and, in the long term, attract more companies to join the southern high-tech ecosystem in the coming years.
The benefit is twofold: strengthening the local economy while increasing the Negev’s participation in Israel’s high-tech industry. This is the recipe for genuine social mobility — not only for those who manage to relocate to the center, but also for those who choose to stay in Be’er Sheva, Dimona, Ofakim, Sderot, or Rahat, and build their lives and families there.
The message from the North Korean story is clear: the opportunity is right under our noses. The rules of the labor market have changed before our eyes, and more people than ever can access technological jobs. If we seize this opportunity, the Negev will no longer be seen as the “periphery” — but as a new center of high-tech employment, strengthening Israel as a whole.
Shai Meinrath is VP of High-Tech Growth at the DeserTech and Climate Innovation Center in the Negev.
