18Forty Podcast Moshe Koppel: Artificial Intelligence and Torah [Prayer & Humanity 3/5]
Jun 5, 2023
Moshe Koppel, a computer scientist and Talmud scholar at Bar-Ilan University, explores the fascinating intersection of artificial intelligence and Torah study. He discusses how AI technologies like optical character recognition are transforming access to rabbinic texts and enhancing comprehension. The conversation raises intriguing questions about AI's potential role in answering halachic inquiries and its impact on Shabbos observance. Koppel emphasizes the balance between technological advancement and the essential human qualities needed to enrich religious practice and understanding.
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Episode notes
Personal Backlash From Policy Work
- Koppel recounts being publicly labeled and vilified over Kohelet's policy papers used in Israeli judicial reform.
- He describes personal harassment but emphasizes reasoned policy debate over demonization.
Digitize Pages With Your Phone
- Use phone-based apps (like Dicta) to digitize printed Torah pages instantly and convert them into editable source sheets.
- This allows reformatting, searching, and comparing variant readings quickly.
AI Will Answer Trivial Halachic Questions
- Simple halachic queries will soon be reliably answerable by AI, but current models still hallucinate.
- Koppel cautions ChatGPT-style models are impressive but not yet trustworthy for serious rulings.
