Divrei Navon

04/07/2024

🌟 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

27/06/2024

לחברי דוברי עברית - היכן ליהודי לגור?

יהודים רבים ברחבי העולם שאלו את עצמם אחרי 7 באוקטובר: היכן עליי לחיות? זו שאלה פשוטה שמגלמת בתוכה את השאלה

26/05/2024

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:

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).

30/04/2024

🎉 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.

10/04/2024

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.

Rabbi Akiva’s mysterious Passover Seder that is found in the Haggadah yields a relevant insight for today.

24/02/2024

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/

18/01/2024

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.

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...

06/12/2023

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

16/07/2023

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

02/04/2023

Generative AI has taken the world by storm. Creating art, literature, music as well as engaging in fluid conversation, the artificial intelligence of today ...

22/12/2022

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