The Blogs: What Happens When Good People Sit Out the AI Revolution?

What happens when the people who care most about humanity decide not to participate in shaping its future?

I’ve been thinking about that question a lot lately.

As I speak with organizations, community leaders and others about artificial intelligence, I often hear a version of the same concern.

Why should we embrace AI when people are using it to spread misinformation, antisemitism, hatred and division?

It’s a fair question.

And I share the concern.

We’re watching technology become increasingly capable of creating convincing images, videos, voices and stories that aren’t real.

Information can spread faster than we can verify it.

People can be manipulated without even realizing it.

And as these tools become more powerful, the potential for harm grows.

But my response to that concern is usually pretty simple.

If people are going to use AI to do harm, then those of us who believe in using it for good have an even greater responsibility to understand it and use it well.

Because choosing not to participate doesn’t stop the technology.

It just means someone else gets to shape how it’s used.

And that should concern us even more.

Think about the resources our Jewish communities dedicate to education, fighting antisemitism, preserving history, supporting people in need and strengthening Jewish life.

We invest enormous amounts of time, money and human energy in those efforts.

Now imagine what becomes possible when we use technology to extend that work.

Helping educators reach more students.

Making Jewish history and credible information more accessible.

Giving nonprofit organizations more capacity to serve people.

Helping communities communicate across languages and generations.

Making it easier for people to learn, connect and participate.

None of those things happen simply because AI exists.

They happen because people decide to use it with intention.

And that’s where I think leadership comes in.

We spend a lot of time discussing the risks of AI.

We should.

Privacy matters. Accuracy matters. Bias matters. Human judgment matters.

We need policies, safeguards and a willingness to question what these systems tell us.

But I worry that sometimes our concern about what could go wrong becomes a reason not to explore what could go right.

And that carries its own risk. A bigger risk.

Because while responsible organizations are debating whether to participate, others are moving ahead.

Some are building incredible things.

Others are using the same capabilities to deceive, divide and exploit.

We don’t get to choose whether this technology becomes part of our world.

It’s already here.

But we do get to choose what role we play.

And I want to be clear about what I am saying here.

I’m not suggesting we use AI to become better at pushing our own beliefs or manipulating people toward conclusions we prefer.

That’s not the answer to misinformation.

We should be using these tools to help people find reliable information, think critically, understand different perspectives and make informed decisions.

To strengthen human judgment rather than replace it.

To create more connection rather than division.

To give people more opportunity rather than take it away.

There’s the Jewish idea of tikkun olam, the responsibility to help repair the world.

I think that responsibility extends to using technology.

If we believe education matters, we should be exploring how these tools can improve access to learning.

If we believe community matters, we should be finding ways to use technology to strengthen human relationships.

If we believe in human dignity, we should be helping shape how AI is developed, governed and used.

Because our values should influence how powerful tools are used.

I’ve said many times that AI is a tool, not the story.

People are the story.

And perhaps that’s why I feel so strongly about this.