Does the ability of AI to present choices to us that it thinks we will like or want change our sense of free will?
(יג) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לְאַבְרָ֗ם יָדֹ֨עַ תֵּדַ֜ע כִּי־גֵ֣ר ׀ יִהְיֶ֣ה זַרְעֲךָ֗ בְּאֶ֙רֶץ֙ לֹ֣א לָהֶ֔ם וַעֲבָד֖וּם וְעִנּ֣וּ אֹתָ֑ם אַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָֽה׃ (יד) וְגַ֧ם אֶת־הַגּ֛וֹי אֲשֶׁ֥ר יַעֲבֹ֖דוּ דָּ֣ן אָנֹ֑כִי וְאַחֲרֵי־כֵ֥ן יֵצְא֖וּ בִּרְכֻ֥שׁ גָּדֽוֹל׃ (טו) וְאַתָּ֛ה תָּב֥וֹא אֶל־אֲבֹתֶ֖יךָ בְּשָׁל֑וֹם תִּקָּבֵ֖ר בְּשֵׂיבָ֥ה טוֹבָֽה׃ (טז) וְד֥וֹר רְבִיעִ֖י יָשׁ֣וּבוּ הֵ֑נָּה כִּ֧י לֹא־שָׁלֵ֛ם עֲוֺ֥ן הָאֱמֹרִ֖י עַד־הֵֽנָּה׃
(13) And He said to Abram, “Know well that your offspring shall be strangers in a land not theirs, and they shall be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years; (14) but I will execute judgment on the nation they shall serve, and in the end they shall go free with great wealth. (15) As for you, You shall go to your fathers in peace; You shall be buried at a ripe old age. (16) And they shall return here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”
What is the relationship between the question in #1 and the text in #2 ?
Is the job being done by AI any different from the ways that other influencers informed us, marketed and advertised to us, and sought to shape our tastes, in previous eras?
(כח) וְכִֽי־יִגַּ֨ח שׁ֥וֹר אֶת־אִ֛ישׁ א֥וֹ אֶת־אִשָּׁ֖ה וָמֵ֑ת סָק֨וֹל יִסָּקֵ֜ל הַשּׁ֗וֹר וְלֹ֤א יֵאָכֵל֙ אֶת־בְּשָׂר֔וֹ וּבַ֥עַל הַשּׁ֖וֹר נָקִֽי׃ (כט) וְאִ֡ם שׁוֹר֩ נַגָּ֨ח ה֜וּא מִתְּמֹ֣ל שִׁלְשֹׁ֗ם וְהוּעַ֤ד בִּבְעָלָיו֙ וְלֹ֣א יִשְׁמְרֶ֔נּוּ וְהֵמִ֥ית אִ֖ישׁ א֣וֹ אִשָּׁ֑ה הַשּׁוֹר֙ יִסָּקֵ֔ל וְגַם־בְּעָלָ֖יו יוּמָֽת׃
(28) When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall be stoned and its flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner of the ox is not to be punished. (29) If, however, that ox has been in the habit of goring, and its owner, though warned, has failed to guard it, and it kills a man or a woman—the ox shall be stoned and its owner, too, shall be put to death.
מתני׳ שור שהוא מועד למינו ואינו מועד לשאינו מינו מועד לאדם ואינו מועד לבהמה מועד לקטנים ואינו מועד לגדולים את שהוא מועד לו משלם נזק שלם ואת שאינו מועד לו משלם חצי נזק
MISHNA: With regard to an ox that is forewarned with regard to its own species, if the ox gores the type of animal or person with regard to which it is forewarned, its owner pays the full cost of the damage, and if it gores an animal or person with regard to which it is not forewarned, he pays half the cost of the damage.
Who? in what situations? why? is a person responsible for a goring ox?
Can a machine be ‘programmed’ to be ethical?
Self-Driving Car Conundrum
Say you’re behind a truck and something large and heavy falls off of it. You’re in an autonomous vehicle, which is programmed to be so responsive that it can brake in time to avoid the object. The catch is that there's a human-driven vehicle tailgating you.
If your self-driving car stops suddenly, the human-driven car will likely rear end you. But if the self-driving car breaks slowly, so the person can stop too, you’re at greater risk of hitting the object.
What is the self-driving car likely to do?
Who is responsible for the decision the car makes?
Say you’re behind a truck and something large and heavy falls off of it. You’re in an autonomous vehicle, which is programmed to be so responsive that it can brake in time to avoid the object. The catch is that there's a human-driven vehicle tailgating you.
If your self-driving car stops suddenly, the human-driven car will likely rear end you. But if the self-driving car breaks slowly, so the person can stop too, you’re at greater risk of hitting the object.
What is the self-driving car likely to do?
Who is responsible for the decision the car makes?
(כא) מָ֣וֶת וְ֭חַיִּים בְּיַד־לָשׁ֑וֹן וְ֝אֹהֲבֶ֗יהָ יֹאכַ֥ל פִּרְיָֽהּ׃
(21) Death and life are in the power of the tongue; Those who love it will eat its fruit.
Reish Lakish quotes, "This is the ritual (lit. Torah) for a leper..." this is in reference to the law (lit. Torah) for one who speaks Lashon Harah And Reish Lakish asks, "Where do we learn this?" "If the serpent bites before it is charmed, the charmer has no advantage." ...Death and life are in the power of the tongue; And they that indulge it shall eat the fruit thereof. (Proverbs 18:21)
(יז) מְכַשֵּׁפָ֖ה לֹ֥א תְחַיֶּֽה׃ (ס)
(17) You shall not allow a sorceress to live
Golem of Chelm
Chacham Tzvi (Rabbi Tzvi Ashkenazi of Amsterdam, 1656 – 1718) writes that his ancestor, Rav Eliyahu Ba’al Shem of Chelm (1550 – 1583) created a human-like being (a golem) using the Sefer Yetzirah. The Chacham Tzvi’s son, Rav Yakov Emden (Altona 1697 – 1776) writes[23] that, eventually Rav Eliyahu decided to deactivate the golem. So, he removed the name of G-d which he had placed in the golem’s forehead. But as he was doing this, the golem fought back and scratched Rabbi Eliyahu on his forehead.
Chacham Tzvi wonders if a golem can be counted for a minyan. On the one hand, only a Jew may be counted for a minyan and a golem is not a Jew. On the other hand, since a golem is created by a tzadik and the actions of a tzadik are considered their progeny, perhaps they should be considered like a child of a Jew. This can be compared to the teaching of the Talmud[24] that one who rears an orphan in their home is considered to have birthed them.
Chacham Tzvi (Rabbi Tzvi Ashkenazi of Amsterdam, 1656 – 1718) writes that his ancestor, Rav Eliyahu Ba’al Shem of Chelm (1550 – 1583) created a human-like being (a golem) using the Sefer Yetzirah. The Chacham Tzvi’s son, Rav Yakov Emden (Altona 1697 – 1776) writes[23] that, eventually Rav Eliyahu decided to deactivate the golem. So, he removed the name of G-d which he had placed in the golem’s forehead. But as he was doing this, the golem fought back and scratched Rabbi Eliyahu on his forehead.
Chacham Tzvi wonders if a golem can be counted for a minyan. On the one hand, only a Jew may be counted for a minyan and a golem is not a Jew. On the other hand, since a golem is created by a tzadik and the actions of a tzadik are considered their progeny, perhaps they should be considered like a child of a Jew. This can be compared to the teaching of the Talmud[24] that one who rears an orphan in their home is considered to have birthed them.
Counting a Golem for a Minyan
Mishnah Berurah (Rabbi Yisroel Meir Kagan, 1839 – 1933) cites the following halacha: “If a man was created using the book of Yetzirah, see Responsa of Chacham Tzvi as to whether or not he counts for a minyan…”
Mishnah Berurah (Rabbi Yisroel Meir Kagan, 1839 – 1933) cites the following halacha: “If a man was created using the book of Yetzirah, see Responsa of Chacham Tzvi as to whether or not he counts for a minyan…”
Can a robot be counted in a minyan?
Discuss reasons as to why or why not a Golem should count in a minyan.
Meddling in the Forces of Nature
Sefer HaChinuch[6] explains that G-d created every aspect of this world with a certain nature so that it can function in the way that is best for the world. He commanded that every element of nature fulfill the purpose for which it was made.
G-d also created spiritual (angelic) forces that energize every aspect of this world and ensure that they function in the proper way. If any of these spiritual forces are mixed, the physical elements that they energize will be altered. Mankind is forbidden from mixing these forces in certain ways (i.e., through magic) as G-d knows that the ultimate effect on the world from this sort of mixture, is negative.
Sefer HaChinuch[6] explains that G-d created every aspect of this world with a certain nature so that it can function in the way that is best for the world. He commanded that every element of nature fulfill the purpose for which it was made.
G-d also created spiritual (angelic) forces that energize every aspect of this world and ensure that they function in the proper way. If any of these spiritual forces are mixed, the physical elements that they energize will be altered. Mankind is forbidden from mixing these forces in certain ways (i.e., through magic) as G-d knows that the ultimate effect on the world from this sort of mixture, is negative.
Has technology impacted our sense of self?