Divrei Navon

🌟 I am happy to share that the St. Andrews Encyclopedia Of Theology (SAET) has published my entry - "A Jewish Theological Perspective on Technology" - in which I trace the approach to technology from Noah's plow to the Messiah's plowshares.
🔗 Read it here: https://www.saet.ac.uk/Judaism/AJewishTheologicalPerspectiveonTechnologyOrthodox

לחברי דוברי עברית - היכן ליהודי לגור?

הסיבה לחיות והסיבה למות: הפתרון היהודי הנכון יהודים רבים ברחבי העולם שאלו את עצמם אחרי 7 באוקטובר: היכן עליי לחיות? זו שאלה פשוטה שמגלמת בתוכה את השאלה

After the worst terror attack in Israeli history, 7 months of a war we are not allowed to win and worldwide antisemitism that reminds of pre-war Germany, Jews have been asking themselves "Where should we go?" Here is my response:

Where is a Jew to Live? - opinion Judaism teaches that there is a purpose to creation – to make the world a better place (tikkun olam) and to make oneself a better person (tikkun hanefesh).

🎉 Exciting news! 🎉

Ever wondered if you should be saying "thank you" to ChatGPT? Ever wondered if we can or should make conscious AI - humanoids with the ability to feel? After five years working on these topics I am happy to announce that I've been awarded a PhD in Jewish Philosophy from Bar-Ilan University for my doctoral dissertation entitled "The Moral Status of Artificial Intelligence - A Jewish Ethical Perspective"! You can read it here:
https://www.divreinavon.com/Misc/TheMoralStatusOfAI_Thesis_MoisNavon_V3.pdf

Many thanks to my advisor Prof. Hanoch Ben-Pazi, as well as my teachers along the way: Efrat Ram-Tiktin, Dov Schwartz, Alon Chasid, Galit Wellner, Naama Ben Shahar, Yehuda Halper, Tzachi Hershkovitz.

October 7 has left us in trauma. We walk around doing what we need to do, trying to live the life of October 6. But we are in mourning. We cannot imagine a world different than that of October 8. In the redemptive spirit of Passover, I offer this short insight gleaned from Rabbi Akiva, the “prophet” of hope.

Passover’s Message of Hope in the Aftermath of Oct. 7 - Aish.com Rabbi Akiva’s mysterious Passover Seder that is found in the Haggadah yields a relevant insight for today.

The current month of Adar is supposed to be a time of rejoicing, but given the current realities, it is hard to get into the holiday spirit. In my latest talk (link below) I explain why we need to rejoice, now.
https://divreinavon.com/rejoicing-in-adar-rishon-during-wartime/

Heard about Conscious AI? It doesn't exist ... yet. In my latest paper, "To Make A Mind" (which is part of my thesis on the moral status of AI), I explain the possibilities. Enjoy.

To Make a Mind—A Primer on Conscious Robots The dream of making a conscious humanoid – whether as servant, guard, entertainer, or simply as testament to human creativity – has long captivated the human imagination. However, while past attemp...

With Hannukah upon us (the first candle is Dec. 7), I hope you find inspiration in my message of light to dispel the darkness that the enemies of civilization have brought upon us.

English: https://youtu.be/xYEHHg0KIt8
Hebrew: https://youtu.be/H7LN4zYlgCI

For those who might be interested on a theological take on the use of Autonomous Weapons Systems, here is chapter I recently published in an interfaith book on AI & Theology: https://divreinavon.com/pdf/AWS_BattlefieldDignity_aJewishPerspective.pdf

Hath Man No Advantage Over Machine? On Generative AI and Human Creativity Generative AI has taken the world by storm. Creating art, literature, music as well as engaging in fluid conversation, the artificial intelligence of today ...

The Hannuka candles have a strange requirement that we are not to use their light for anything, but are only to look at them - some say - in silence. I suggest that the reason is "aesthetics". Join me on a journey to the aesthetic. Shiur (ENGLISH): https://youtu.be/0NQ6g-Vo5-Y

לנרות החנוכה יש דרישה מוזרה שלא להשתמש באורן לשום דבר, אלא רק לראותן בלבד - יש אומרים - בשתיקה. אני מציע שהסיבה היא "אסתטיקה". תצטרפו אלי למסע אל האסתטיקה...
Shiur (HEBREW): https://youtu.be/QL2CkoNv-AI