Podcast Summary: Identity/Crisis – "Staying Human in the Age of AI"

Host: Yehuda Kurtzer (President, Shalom Hartman Institute)
Guest: David Zvi Kalman (Scholar, Technologist, Host of Belief in the Future)
Date: October 13, 2025

Overview:

This episode dives into the profound challenges and questions AI presents for Jewish life and humanity at large. Yehuda Kurtzer and David Zvi Kalman reflect on post-Yom Kippur humanness, the intersection of technology and spirituality, and how the Jewish community is both lagging behind and uniquely positioned to address the ethical, communal, and existential dilemmas introduced by artificial intelligence.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Yom Kippur’s Lessons on Humanness and Technology

• Yehuda describes Yom Kippur as Judaism’s “most human holiday,” centering on physical awareness, mortality, repentance, and fallibility.
  • “We talk about our limitations, our failures, those we’re going to try really hard to address, and those we’ll never overcome.” (06:23)
• The abrupt transition from embodied ritual back into the technological world (e.g., turning on the Yankees game, returning to phones and social media) highlights technology’s pervasiveness and raises questions about what it means to “stay human.”

Jewish Community’s Response to AI

• Lagging Behind:
  • David: “The Jewish conversation right now feels a little bit behind… Other religious communities...are taking this stuff seriously at a kind of organizational level. I think the Jewish community is going to get there, but it's not quite there yet.” (07:52)
  • Primary focus in Jewish contexts has been on educational applications (broadcasting, content development), often with insufficient critical engagement.
• Risks Jews May Be Missing:
  • “When you use a tool for the reasons its creators want you to use it, it makes it harder to see…where it is problematic.” (08:40)
  • Dehumanization, job replacement, and especially the risk that AI becomes a major vector for antisemitism in digital media, given Jews’ minoritarian status.

Comparative Lens: Jewish and General Religious Reactions to Tech

• Kurtzer asks if the Jewish community's tendency to be “behind” with tech adoption is unique; Kalman sees it as similar to other pre-modern traditions oriented towards stability and slow change.
• The pace of tech implementation outstrips the pace of ethical/religious response:
  • “You have tech firms coming out with new technologies…with no clear ethical rules...By the time [religious institutions] respond, your space for actually informing people’s ethical decisions is so small because everyone’s already using it.” (13:45)
  • Pushes for religious ethicists to become “futurists,” anticipating ethical ramifications before products go mainstream.

The Religious and Philosophical Stakes of AI

• AI developers and critics increasingly use religious language—apocalypticism, redemption, alignment, etc.—when describing the stakes of AI (17:57).
• Vision for 5 Years from Now:
  • Kalman emphasizes job loss, skill atrophy, and addiction metaphors.
  • “If people turn to AI for writing companions, especially as part of their training…that is going to erode the way people write.” (20:48)
• Concrete Proposal: Rabbis (and by extension, religious leaders) should commit to writing their own sermons, not using AI, as a public affirmation of human-to-human spiritual transmission.
  • “It gives a congregation a sense of, this is a space for humans to interact with other humans…even if efficiency would push us to put AI in all these spaces instead.” (21:50)

The Egalitarian Temptation and Limits of AI

• Kurtzer plays “devil’s advocate”: Might AI bring more people into the domain of good writing and accessible knowledge, erasing some hierarchy?
  • Kalman agrees there’s appeal, but stresses the need for explicit communal conversation about standards and boundaries.
  • “Those are really messy conversations…conversations that happen best within the context of local communities.” (26:00)

Antisemitism, Information, and "Feeding the Machine"

• Should Jewish educators and organizations flood AI systems with accurate or positive Jewish content to counteract bias?
  • Kalman: “Some folks are already writing for AI, not human beings.” (29:30)
  • Practical obstacles: Sheer volume of antisemitic content online, the risk of "capitulation" to the system, and technical vulnerabilities (e.g., Grok/Mecca Hitler incident).
• Possibility that “alignment” solutions (aimed at keeping AI “good”) will generally resist all sorts of bigotries, including antisemitism. (31:18)

Democratization vs. Authority

• AI’s potential to erode structures of authority and expertise parallels but exceeds earlier moments in Jewish tech history (e.g., Bar Ilan Responsa Project, Sefaria’s database).
  • “AI kind of pushes that up a notch…you don’t need to know anything…and you can get a great, very learned answer that goes along with what you want.” (34:30)
  • Worry: Weakening of traditional authority could lead to increased Jewish conservatism—people default to status quo rules because no one is trusted to innovate responsibly.

AI, Halacha, and Beyond

• AI will affect halachic discourse, but Kalman is more interested in broader Jewish ethical, humanistic, and spiritual values.
  • “What does it mean to be created in the image of God? What does it mean to value other human beings? That matters to me a lot more [than just halacha].” (38:08)
• Current AI use cases—like “replicating dead grandparents” or automating sermon writing—demand individualized, community-based deliberation.

Practical Guidance for Jewish Institutions

• Yehuda: “What are the concrete policies or boundaries you’d recommend?”
• David’s Core Principles:
  1. Value Humans First:
     • “Make sure that whatever you are doing does not result in the loss of human dignity…AI does make people feel like they are less than adequate.” (49:00)
  2. Have the Conversation:
     • “People have come to AI with very different understandings…It does actually make sense to have conversations internally about what you feel comfortable with…because those conversations need to happen somewhere.” (50:09)
     • Elevating younger and more tech-savvy team members in these conversations is recommended.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Jewish Community’s Tech Response:

  • “We are always going to be behind…there’s always a phase of resistance to technology and then gradually acceptance that it’s taking over.” (11:10 – Kurtzer)
  • “Ethicists need to be working as fast or faster than tech companies themselves…paint a picture of the future that is just as clear and vivid.” (14:35 – Kalman)

• On the Uncomfortably Atomizing Effect of AI:

  • “These are ultimately tools that are designed for human beings in a deeply atomized way, and religion really does not know what to do with that.” (33:00 – Kurtzer)

• On Access and Knowledge:

  • “Halachapedia…is now a kind of central resource for AI when people ask it halachic questions. Which I don’t think was intended.” (29:45 – Kalman)

• On AI’s Disruption of Authority:

  • “There’s nothing so special anymore about being able to write a responsum or being able to create a midrash…” (35:00 – Kalman)

• On the Limits of Jewish Texts for AI:

  • “There is no Jewish perspective on AI. It does not exist as such…The work is on you.” (45:20 – Kalman)
  • Nevertheless, Jewish sources tend to favor “behavioral humanity” over “biological humanity” regarding moral status, potentially setting Judaism apart in this field. (46:30)

• On Practical Policy:

  • “Value humans first…Have the conversation…coming up with policies that you and the people you work with together feel good about, I think, is probably the best way to go.” (49:00–50:20 – Kalman)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Introduction & Yom Kippur Reflections – 01:06–07:30
• Jewish Community and AI Adoption – 07:30–09:39
• Risks and Ethical Concerns – 09:39–12:14
• Historical Patterns of Jewish Engagement with Tech – 12:14–16:07
• Ethics vs. Capitalism and Regulatory Limitations – 15:09–17:57
• Religious Language & Vision for the Future – 17:57–22:55
• AI and Religious Authority; Democratization – 22:55–27:08
• Combatting AI Bias and Antisemitism – 27:08–32:15
• Atomization, Responsa, and Authority – 32:15–38:00
• Halacha, Humanism, and Jewish Values – 38:00–44:27
• Textual Sources & Conceptual Frameworks – 44:27–48:56
• Practical Guidelines for Institutions – 48:56–51:06

Concluding Remarks

This conversation underscores the urgency of both broad communal reflection and local, participatory decision-making about AI’s role in Jewish life. The inherently human dimensions of learning, leadership, ritual, and community are identified as non-negotiable touchstones—requiring clear boundaries, ongoing dialogue, and a strong bias toward affirming human dignity, even as Jewish communities cautiously explore the benefits and costs of a rapidly advancing technological future.

For further information and show notes, visit the Shalom Hartman Institute website.