Edinburgh Jewish Literary Society – Moshe Koppel, Unplugged: Jewish Wisdom in the Age of AI – 7.30pm Via Zoom

In our rapidly evolving digital world, artificial intelligence is transforming how we work, communicate, and even think. This talk explores what happens when an ancient tradition encounters these cutting-edge technologies. After providing a clear, accessible explanation of how AI actually works and where it’s headed, we’ll examine the challenges this technological revolution presents: the potential obsolescence of many white-collar jobs, increasing digital isolation, and the temptation to reduce complex moral decisions to utilitarian calculations. The Jewish tradition—with its emphasis on collaborative learning, intentional unplugging through Shabbat, and nuanced ethical reasoning that balances principles with context—offers thoughtful perspectives worth considering as we navigate these challenges. While no tradition has all the answers for unprecedented technological shifts, Judaism’s long experience adapting to societal changes while preserving human connection and meaning provides valuable insights. As AI handles more of our cognitive tasks, perhaps ancient wisdom can help us reflect on a fundamental question: with all this technology saving us time, where exactly are we rushing to?

Moshe Koppel is Professor Emeritus of Computer Science at Bar-Ilan University and a pioneer in artificial intelligence research. Born in New York and living in Israel for 45 years, he has published over 100 articles in leading academic journals across multiple disciplines including mathematics, computer science, and linguistics. Koppel is the founding director of Dicta, a research institute dedicated to developing innovative AI tools for the analysis and processing of modern and classical Hebrew texts. His work bridges cutting-edge technology with linguistic and textual analysis, creating new ways to make ancient texts more accessible through digital tools. His interdisciplinary expertise extends beyond traditional computer science, with significant contributions to the social sciences, as well as three books on Jewish thought, including Judaism Straight Up: Why Real Religion Endures, published by Koren.