What we train in all of our yeshivot is much more important than knowing the information. It is toiling over the information, toiling over the lesson, toiling over the learning. And if we continue to train our people, our Bnei Torah (our people), to be this way, then it will separate us from the rest of the world in a dramatic way. Because in 10, 20 years from now, a college graduate will not really have any ability to think. They’ll just know how to put things into AI and take them out of AI. But a Torah learner will have the ability to delve, to toil, to work, to stress, to debate, to discuss. And the ability of thinking of the Bnei Torah in 10 years from now could be dramatically better than everyone else in the world. Not because we’re just born better, but because we still want to develop our potential. The rest of the world just cares about results. We value the process way more.
I said, “I understand AI is here.” It could be that a teacher will make a test out of AI. A teacher doesn’t have to write every word. If AI could produce the same test, fine. Maybe people will respond to emails with AI. I don’t do that yet, but I’ve got to do it one of these days. Some people send emails like 10 pages, like, “Hello.” But maybe AI will respond to emails. No one says you have to toil on responding to an email. No one says you have to toil on writing a test. And no one says you have to toil on grading a test. And no one says you can’t make something creative to give over a lesson by using the creativity of AI. But if you use AI to to it to replace the toil that we as Jews are here to do, that’s when we’re in trouble.
And so the key is going to be to know the difference: when AI is a tool that is okay to use and enhances us, and when AI is replacing our brain. And we have to make sure that our children, our grandchildren, our students, if we allow them to use AI, and again, each community is different and what they're worried about and internet. I’m not discussing all the challenges of the internet, the distractions of the internet, and the temptations of the internet. I’m not talking about that. I’m just talking about the tool. We’re going to have to be able to make the distinction between when we allow people to use it as a tool and when it’s replacing the brain.
And if we can make the distinction, we as Torah Jews have the best chance to do this. If we can make the distinction, then literally, we’re set up to meet our potential in ways that the rest of the world will not. Because the rest of the world is going to find every way possible to make shortcuts. Because the rest of the world’s main value is: no one says, “I go to work for the process.” You go to work to make money. So if there’s a quick way to make money, you’d rather make money quickly. Everyone agrees with that. No one goes to college. Most people do not go to college for the process. They go to college for the result. So if there’s a quick way to get the result, they’re going to take the quick way.
When a person, a Torah person, a Ben Torah (a Torah person) learns, they do not learn for the result. They learn for the process. And we have to make sure we keep valuing that process. Because if we do, we will be valuing the Adam be Adam. We’ll be valuing the potential of the person inside of the person.