Ethics

A Jewish Approach to Technology – Presentation to the Aurora Interfaith Group at the Vatican

In this Vatican Aurora presentation, I explore how technological innovation—ancient and modern—must be guided by ethical purpose. Drawing on the stories of Noah and Babel, the teachings of Francis Bacon, and contemporary challenges in AI, I argue for an education that equips both engineers and everyday users to develop and deploy technology “to relieve the estate of man” while remaining anchored in a transcendent moral framework.

It is Not Good for Man to Be Alone – I Will Make Him a Lovebot?

At the heart of what may be the most intimate ethical dilemma of our time lies the Lovebot – a Sexdoll driven by sophisticated artificial intelligence that gives it the ability to engage in social relationships. This socio-intelligent capability raises critical ethical and existential questions about the nature and purpose of human relationships and, more fundamentally, about the very essence of what it means to be human. Applying a Jewish moral framework to the question of Lovebots, I will demonstrate that relationships with automatons undermine the human condition both ethically and existentially.

In Your Face: DeepFakes meet DeepEthics / Conference on Judaism, Jews, and AI (ASU)

The world of deepfakes – videos that look remarkably real but are frighteningly fake – have become the scourge of the internet, prompting tech companies to scramble for solutions and governments to legislate regulations. In this talk, I apply “Deep” Jewish Ethics to explain why this technological abuse is so bad, so deeply bad, that more must be done to reign it in while still allowing for the positive applications to flourish.

Introduction to Ethics Of Technology

While ethics of technology has always been of import, with the advent of modern technologies – and specifically those based on AI and Big Data – the subject is not merely “of import” but critical to the harmonious function of society and the world, no less.

Jacob & Esau: Same and Other

Jacob, Esau, Levinas, Totality and Infinity, Ethics, Parshat Toldot, Vayetze, Vayishlach, Vayeshev, Miketz, Vayigash, Vayehi, Shavuot

Autonomous Vehicle Ethics

Many a class on ethics opens with the renowned Trolley Problem. This ethical dilemma has been used to introduce the classical approaches of utilitarian versus deontological ethics. Now, though the Trolley Problem has had some real-life applications, the advent of the autonomous vehicle has just made the Trolley Problem very real. Autonomous vehicles will be programmed to make life-and-death decisions, and the burning question is how should they be programmed?