Although it’s still in its infancy, much has already been written about AI, the new world of Artificial Intelligence. I recently read the comment of one pundit regarding AI that “we’re going somewhere strange at a very rapid speed.” In other words, perhaps more than any other invention or discovery, AI is moving faster than innovations such as the internet, space travel or self-driving vehicles. In our own sometimes sheltered frum world, some people have embraced AI in ways no one could have predicted. For example, many other rabbonim and I have been receiving inquiries by phone or in person with the following introduction: “Rebbi, ChatGPT says… What do you say?” Not so long ago, I might have heard, “Rav Moshe Feinstein says…but the Mishnah Berurah seems to say… What should I do?” Sometimes, the end of the sentence was: “Which do we follow?” Now, let’s face it: AI is a shitah, an opinion.

Since I personally have no access to this new gadol, people are kind enough to make the introduction. Just this morning, between Shacharis and a chaburah, someone showed me what appeared to be a wonderful review sheet prepared by AI for the first daf in Bava Kamma. It included difficult words and a decent translation, 30 questions based upon Tannaim, Amoraim, Rishonim and Acharonim and easy-to-follow answers. Another of my benefactors printed for me a “teshuvah” about a complicated halachic shailah with 13 sources. The problem was that they were all made up. When my friend confronted Reb AI, a.k.a. Reb Chat, he (it) did teshuvah and confessed to the sheker. Then it did a seemingly human thing. It rationalized its mistake with rather poor excuses.

So where have we gone? More importantly, where are we going and how should we react to this situation where we find ourselves? Furthermore, unlike the weather and the inventions mentioned earlier, all of those affect almost everyone equally. However, the challenges of AI for us involve the various issues of emunas chachomim, emes and sheker, our absolute belief in the chain of our mesorah, as delineated in the beginning of Pirkei Avos and unbroken until…AI. Now, of course, we have always had to deal with interlopers, such as the Tzedukim, Karaim, Haskalah and, most recently, Reform, Conservative and even perversions of Orthodoxy. However, we generally knew how to differentiate between the legitimate and the fakes, and the authentic and the deceptions. The scourge of AI is that it “speaks our language,” even imitating the variations it picks up between our many own groups. ChatGPT may be here to stay with its already octopus-like numerous arms, but let’s at least try to set some initial guidelines and red flags to avoid.

I decided that, given the purpose of this essay, it would be appropriate to discuss the concept of a genuine mesorah and daas Torah by turning to my own rabbeim. I urge everyone to do the same, where appropriate and available. My rebbi, Rav Yitzchok Hutner, once wrote in a letter (Iggros Ukesavim 42, pages 70-71) that “the main source of tumah (spiritual defilement) in our time is the depreciation and belittling of the tzuras adam (stature of a human being).” This short epigram about the reduction of mankind’s grandeur is explained in more depth in many places in his writings and maamorim.

First of all, we should realize that the diminution of the tzuras adam mentioned above always comes in stages. The rosh yeshiva proved this through a careful analysis of the early history of mankind. In the very beginning, Adam Harishon was punished in a way that diminished him and, by extension, all of mankind (see Sanhedrin 38b). Then, the world was nearly completely destroyed by the primordial Flood, which further eroded the stature of human beings. At that point, the Creator said that the world would no longer be destroyed because of anything man does, because we are now unworthy of having the fate of the universe depend upon us (Bereishis 8:21, with meforshim). Then came the punishment of the Dor Haflagah, where the only speaking creature in the universe could no longer communicate with every other human being. This was a drastic lowering of the universality and all-encompassing stature of man (Pachad Yitzchok, Rosh Hashanah 20:13, pages 147-148). After those seminal events, Hashem no longer diminished man, but we saw much evidence of man diminishing himself.

One of the most amazing revelations of the rosh yeshiva in this regard is that “with the creation of Adam, the concept of Hashem’s royalty was simultaneously also created.” The reason for this linkage is that Adam was the first and only creation who was created b’tzelem Elokim, and he could therefore also recognize the majesty of Hashem in the universe. For this reason, also, Adam’s shirah is Hashem malach (Tehillim 93:1). On the sixth day of creation, Adam Harishon declared and sang of the sovereignty of his creator” (ibid., Maamar 11:16, page 96). It is this creature that is also obligated to declare, “The world was created for me” (Sanhedrin 37a). That is the level of glory that Hashem assigns to the one creation for which He fashioned the world (Derech Hashem, chapter 2). It should be obvious that we are dwelling here on making a striking distinction between listening to a machine/computer/soulless object and learning from a human being who stands at the pinnacle of creation. This is what the rosh yeshiva wrote (Sefer Hazikaron, Pachad Yitzchok, page 67) as early as 5681 (1921), when he was only 15 years old: “The root of my soul is from the middah of daas (understanding).” Man is neither machine nor computer, but the repository of a heavenly soul that is a cheilek Eloka mimaal (a part of Hashem Himself). His knowledge is not made of algorithms or electronic signals. It is the most important part of the Divine wisdom that G-d has allowed in the world (see Pachad Yitzchok, Shavuos, Maamar 36).

To plumb even deeper, the rosh yeshiva taught that man incorporates within himself every entity in the universe (Maamorei Pachad Yitzchok, Sukkos 23:4, 99:15). Additionally, he is the only one capable of discerning holiness in the world (Maamorei Pachad Yitzchok, Pesach 19:2), and even after he sinned, his creation was considered tov me’od, extremely good (ibid. 52:6). A true human being transcends time itself (Pachad Yitzchok, Yom Hakippurim 21:5, 32:4) and shines with an other-worldly light (Pachad Yitzchok, Chanukah 7:5).

We should note at this point that, thousands of years before AI, our sages knew how to create an artificial human being through their knowledge of Kabbolah (see Sanhedrin 65b). Yet, although some of them had brought such a creature into being, others consigned the silent golem who couldn’t even speak to the dust-heap. Some poskim argue whether such a being could be counted in a minyan (see Chacham Tzvi 93 and his son Rav Yaakov Emden’s She’ailas Yaavetz 2:82), but none believe that these temporary artificial creatures can act as substitutes or even surrogates for the eminence and nobility of even the lowest human being. All of this can be said about the difference between a fake bundle of wires and plastic and a tzelem Elokim. We have not even begun to speak of the kedusha and taharah of even the least member of Klal Yisroel.

To answer our questions, we must remember that the process of ascertaining Torah knowledge requires a mind suffused with the holiness of the Torah and the purity of its spirit. To even ask — if that is the correct term — shailos of ChatGPT or any other iteration of AI is not only an insult to Torah, but contradictory to its very essence. It was said of several of the Rishonim that when they said, “I think,” the statement carried more force than a reasoned logical argument and conclusion. The reason is that a true posek is not a dictionary or encyclopedia, nor even a search engine for facts and figures. He is a man of heart and soul who happens to have a brain. He speaks with the siyata diShmaya of Hashem standing next to him at all times. He, like many Jews throughout the past 3,000 years, is a replica — also reduced to be sure — of Moshe Rabbeinu. The difference is that for our generation, he has exactly the right number of spiritual nerve endings, synapses and brain cells to answer the questions of our time. Anything less than that is like asking the baseball if it can please throw itself or manikin to dress itself.

There are undoubtedly many useful things that AI can do. Let us keep them outside of the holy borders where only the neshomah can tread and function. This is our tremendous gift from Hashem. Let us not exchange it for a hunk of metal without that precious soul. It diminishes us further, but, perhaps even more importantly, it brings the entire world down as well. Yes, we can use telephones and computers, cars and planes. But when it comes to learning Torah and discovering its treasures, let’s use the time-honored method of learning seforim hakedoshim and consulting with the giants who will never lie to us, even with a metallic fake accent to charm us. Our AI is Absolute Inspiration from the One Above.