Before We Worry About AI Ruining Humanity
We spend much time thinking about the future of humanity.
We are watching artificial intelligence advance at an extraordinary pace. We’re asking important questions about what it means for our jobs, our relationships, our children and our communities.
Will technology make us less compassionate? Will we lose our ability to connect with one another? Will convenience come at the expense of human decency
Lately, I’ve been wondering whether we’re paying enough attention to the problems that have nothing to do with technology.
This week, I witnessed something
A man entered a shopping center parking lot through an exit-only entrance and continued driving the wrong way, forcing an older driver out of his path to avoid a collision.
Rather than apologizing, the man got out of his car and explained that it was faster.
The older driver responded, “We follow laws here.”
That exchange says a lot.
One person was focused on saving himself a little time. The other was reminding him that we share the roads, parking lots and communities around us.
Then I saw a news piece about adults fighting at a youth softball tournament
We bring our children to play sports, hoping they’ll learn teamwork, respect, sportsmanship and how to handle disappointment.
And then some adults on the sidelines demonstrate the exact opposite.
Arguing with referees. Screaming at coaches. Fighting with other parents.
All while their children are watching.
Neither situation has anything to do with artificial intelligence.
No algorithm made that driver enter through the exit. No chatbot told a parent to lose control at a youth sporting event.
These are human choices.
And Jewish tradition has something to say about them.
In Pirkei Avot, we’re taught, “If there is no derech eretz, there is no Torah.”
I’ve been thinking about that teaching.
We spend so much time focused on preserving Jewish identity, educating the next generation and strengthening our communities.
But what are we preserving if we forget the basic decency that should guide how we treat one another?
Derech eretz is about respect, consideration and how we conduct ourselves in everyday life.
It’s recognizing that our actions affect others. It’s knowing when to apologize. And it’s remembering that our children learn from what they see us do, not simply what we tell them.
None of that requires technology.
AI can create extraordinary opportunities. It can help us solve problems, improve lives and create more time for the things that matter.
But technology alone won’t make us better people.
And avoiding technology won’t solve the problems we already have.
There’s also a difference between making things faster and making things better.
Saving thirty seconds by driving against traffic isn’t progress. It’s putting someone else at risk.
Getting your way by intimidating a referee isn’t leadership. It’s teaching children that frustration justifies bad behavior.
We need to think seriously about how AI will shape our future.
But many of the qualities we’re afraid technology will take away are ones we already struggle to practice.
Respect. Patience. Compassion. Accountability.
Our tradition has been teaching us these values for generations.
As we think about technology’s impact on the world. we should at the same time focus on being better humans ourselves.
