What can religion contribute to the AI debate?
By Harris Bor In this module, Bor considers the relationship between religion and AI, and religion’s possible contribution to the ethical AI debate. Using Judaism as a test case, Bor points to 7 core values that encapsulate key aspects of humanity. These values are: (1) Sanctity of the individual; (2) Virtue as foundation for knowledge; (3) Oneness and individuality; (4) Possibility of transformation; (5) Power of emotion; (6) Embodiment; and (7) Sacred time and space. By applying these values to questions around different innovations, Bor makes the case that religion can offer critical insights into how we develop and employ AI technologies in an ethical and responsible manner.
Read, Watch, and Listen
- Staying Human: A Jewish Theology for the Age of Artificial Intelligence, Bor, Harris. Staying Human: A Jewish Theology for the Age of Artificial Intelligence. Eugene, Oregon: Cascade Books, 2021.
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- The Sabbath: Its Meaning for the Modern Man, Heschel, Abraham Joshua. The Sabbath: Its Meaning for the Modern Man. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005.
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- After Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory (3rd ed), MacIntyre, Alasdair C. After Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory (3rd ed). University of Notre Dame Press, 2007.
- Everything is God: The Radical Path of Nondual Judaism, Michaelson, J. Everything is God: The Radical Path of Nondual Judaism. Shambhala, 2009.
- God, Human, Animal, Machine: Technology, Metaphor, and the Search for Meaning, O’Gieblyn, Meghan. God, Human, Animal, Machine: Technology, Metaphor, and the Search for Meaning. Doubleday, 2021.
- Why Your Tech Shabbat Will Fail, Osgood, Kelsey. Why Your Tech Shabbat Will Fail. Wired. Condé Nast, April 22, 2022.
- The Dignity of Difference: How to Avoid the Clash of Civilizations (Revised Edition), Sacks, Jonathan. The Dignity of Difference: How to Avoid the Clash of Civilizations (Revised Edition). Continuum, 2003.
- Films by Tiffany Shlain, Films by Tiffany Shlain: “Connected: An Autoblogography About Love, Death, & Technology” (2011), “Technology Shabbats” (2013), and “A Case For Dreaming” (2014).
- The Lonely Man of Faith (1st Three Leaves Press ed.), Soloveitchik, Joseph Ber. The Lonely Man of Faith (1st Three Leaves Press ed.). Doubleday, 2006.