18Forty Podcast Is AI the New Printing Press? [AI 3/4]
Nov 11, 2025
Join Moshe Koppel, a computer scientist and Talmud scholar, Malka Simkovich, a historian and editor-in-chief, and Tikvah Wiener, an educational consultant, as they explore the intersection of AI and Jewish life. They discuss how AI might reshape community dynamics and the role of human creativity in education. The conversation touches on the psychological risks of intellectual outsourcing, the importance of Shabbos as a model for tech boundaries, and the lessons Jewish history offers in adapting to technological shifts.
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Printing Press Reshaped Jewish Law
- The printing press forced halakhic debate about authorship, rights, and the status of printed texts.
- Jewish law evolved institutions like haskamot to manage publishing's moral and legal challenges.
Scholar Stopped Writing After AI Demo
- Malka shared an academic who used ChatGPT to write in Malcolm Gladwell's voice and then stopped writing.
- He declared AI had exceeded his creative capacity and hasn't written since.
Plan Schoolwide AI Integration
- School leaders must make proactive, inclusive plans for AI adoption and support reluctant teachers.
- Create clear guardrails and training so tools serve pedagogy instead of replacing it.
