How the Torah is the Original A.I., Except There’s Nothing Artificial About it.
What could a book as old as the Torah possibly have to do with something as futuristic as A.I.? Well, you can sort of think of the Torah as the original A.I., except there’s nothing artificial about it. Follow me here -
Today’s A.I.'s, particularly what are called “L.L.M.s” - that’s Large Language Models like ChatGPT - analyze MASSIVE amounts of text in the blink of an eye and spit out a response based on its programming. And the Torah sort of does the same! Think about it - let’s say you’re having a problem with a friend, partner or colleague and you’re looking for a solution, so you turn to Judaism. You could throw any of these problems at the Torah, and with the help of a rabbi, the Torah will provide its best advice or guidance based on its stories and anecdotes. These carefully selected stories and anecdotes are equivalent to an A.I.’s programming. Get it? No? Then just ask an A.I. to explain.
One of the Biggest Tech Hubs in the World
Next up - why does so much A.I. come out of Israel? Israel has become one of the biggest tech hubs in the world. It’s even got its own nickname, “Silicon Wadi.” Silicon means... well, Silicon, and "Wadi" means “valley” in Hebrew. I promise their tech is more creative than their nickname! There’s Mobileye, a company specializing in driverless cars. There’s Waze, the navigation app acquired by Google that helps you avoid traffic, but you already knew that. There’s Cortica, a startup focusing on visual intelligence. And let’s not forget Gong.io, Verbit, AnyVision, Deep Instinct, Optibus, Aidoc (fast-forwards through more) AND I COULD GO ON!
Why does so much A.I. come out of Israel?
- Israelis have the chutzpah and entrepreneurial spirit to take BIG risks and innovate. It’s part of who they are.
- The Israeli military's cyber-units are like A.I. boot camps, training top talent in the most cutting-edge tech.
- Israel's tech ecosystem, where knowledge and ideas flow freely, creates the perfect breeding ground for A.I. innovation.
This brings us to our next topic - Jewish ethics and A.I. I promise it’s not as boring as it sounds.
Ethics
Remember the phrase “Tikkun olam” from Hebrew school? If not, let me bring you up to speed - Tikkun olam is all about making the world a better place, and it’s a big freakin’ deal in Judaism.
So, when it comes to A.I., Judaism doesn't really look at it as being “good” or “bad” - it's more about what we do with it. Like, if we use it to make the world a better place, then it's positive, and if we don’t, then it’s not. Pretty simple, right? For example, positive uses of A.I. might include using A.I. for healthcare, improving accessibility for people with disabilities, promoting environmental sustainability and fostering inclusive and unbiased decision-making processes in the legal system.
There’s SO MUCH FEAR out there about A.I., but imagine a world where A.I. follows Jewish ethical principles and we do the things above. Doesn’t sound so scary anymore, does it?
Of course, you might be thinking, “But I’m not some genius programmer creating A.I.. What am I supposed to do? Well, if you are using A.I., just check in before you use them and ask yourself – Does this make the world a better place? If not, maybe think twice.
Next up – A.I. rabbis.
A.I. Rabbis
Imagine having a rabbi at your fingertips, always ready to provide instant answers to your burning questions about life, death, dating or whatever. Now Imagine this rabbi isn't just knowledgeable, but has an encyclopedic knowledge of Judaism, more so than most human beings could ever possibly have. Now imagine this rabbi can adapt its tone based on your emotions or appearance or your most minuscule micro-expressions. And imagine this rabbi could fit in your pocket. No, I don’t mean like this rabbi “fun-sized,” but that the rabbi is an A.I. on your phone.
But would this “rabbi on your phone” actually be, like, a real rabbi? Not really. A.I. can’t replace rabbis because while a “rab-A.I.” - get it? - could teach us everything there is to know about Judaism, the main goal of a rabbi is to connect with us with something BIGGER than ourselves during our SHORT time here on Earth. Why couldn’t an A.I. rabbi do this? Because A.I.’s don’t have souls, so they can’t connect us to anything BEYOND our physical world, which is a rabbi’s whole job! Sorry, A.I., but that’s just how it is.
Next up, our final burning question - can A.I.’s be Jewish?
Jewish A.I.’s
What does it mean to be Jewish? Being Jewish can mean practicing the Jewish religion and/or being part of the Jewish ethnic group through ancestry. So, could an A.I. be Jewish? You’re probably thinking, “um, no,” but... let’s play it out:
- Say an A.I. is programmed to follow ALL Jewish rituals and practices, recite prayers and observe Jewish holidays.
- Say this A.I. is created BY Jews with Jewish ancestry.
- Say this A.I. is designed to have knowledge and beliefs aligned with Judaism, incorporating all Jewish teachings and ethics.
So... would this A.I. BE Jewish? I'm going to go with the answer "no," because like we discussed earlier, A.I.’s don't have souls. In Judaism, the concept of having a soul is a big deal. It's like having this intangible, inner essence that makes us who we are, and it's believed to be unique to humans and separates us from animals and all other parts of the world. Judaism sees the soul as what connects us to something bigger and more profound than just the physical world. So, while A.I.s can do some cool stuff, they're missing that special spark that defines our soulful existence. I'll have to consult the ultimate, all-knowing source of knowledge on this one - and yes, its name begins with G - Hey Google, what do you think?
Reprinted from this week’s website of aish.com
