Local Roshei Yeshiva Meet
Second Lakewood Asifa Addresses Growing Concerns Over AI
The asifah was attended by a wide range of senior roshei yeshiva and rabbinic leaders, including Rav Mendel Slomowitz, Rav Michel Handelsman, Rav Aryeh Sherwinter, Rav Menachem Mintz, Rav Velvel Mintz, and Rav Dovid Mermelstein.
A second asifa addressing the growing impact of artificial intelligence was held Thursday night in Lakewood, drawing senior rabbinic leadership and continuing a discussion that began earlier this week.
The gathering focused on concerns surrounding AI-driven calling, texting, and content generation, and followed an initial asifah that drew dozens of leading rabbanim and roshei yeshiva, where the gedolim called for a fast day (yom taanis u’tefillah) over the threats posed by AI (artificial intelligence). A date has not been set for when that will take place.
Thursday night’s meeting featured remarks from Rav Elyah Ber Wachtfogel, Rav Malkiel Kotler and Rav Yisroel Newman, who addressed both the technological and hashkafic implications of artificial intelligence.
During his remarks, Rav Yisroel Newman warned that artificial intelligence poses dangers he described as more severe than those associated with the general internet. Rav Malkiel addressed the use of AI in Torah learning, stating that Torah learned through AI-generated means would not warrant a bracha, characterizing such a bracha as a berachah levatalah.