While there has been a continually rapid increase in what AI can do, perhaps the more important question is what we should do. And while we can debate about the nuances of public policy, and explore guidelines and guardrails, most people would agree with one simple idea: AI should serve humanity, not the other way around.
Last month, I was supposed to be at a conference run by the Future of Life, focusing on how we keep the future human. And even though the blizzard kept me from joining in person, I was able to add my name to this statement entitled “The Pro-Human Declaration.” What’s striking is how broad this coalition was, and the people and organizations who signed on. I was proud to be a rabbinic signatory, along with the some very strange bedfellows: the Progressive Democrats of America, SAG-AFTRA, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Richard Branson, Steven Bannon, Susan Rice, Ralph Nader, Glenn Beck and Randi Weingarten, among others.
It reinforces that when it comes to humanity, we need deep and broad relationships across religions, professions, and roles. We are created b’tzelem Elohim, in the image of God, which means that we humans — just like God — are to be creative. And like Adam in the Garden of Eden, we are commanded l’ovdah u’l’shomrah, to work and to protect our resources, using technology to enhance our lives. But we must always be cognizant of our responsibilities — especially with the power we humans wield. Take a look at this statement, and if you agree with its goals of how we keep the future human, I’d encourage you to endorse this declaration.
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