An Artificial Intelligence (AI) site developed in 2020 has the entire Torah downloaded and claims to have the capacity to scan through thousands of religious texts.
Rebbe.io is an open access AI website. When asked what the AI’s goals are, it responded that “the goal of this AI is to provide accurate and detailed answers to questions related to Jewish law and practice. The AI is designed to provide users with reliable and authoritative information about Jewish law and practice, based on Torah sources.”
Rebbe.io was developed in 2020 and made publicly available in 2021.
When asked which stream of Judaism the AI follows, it responds with “this AI follows the teachings of Orthodox Judaism, specifically the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. The AI is designed to provide users with reliable and authoritative information about Jewish law and practice, based on Torah sources.”
The website adds a disclaimer that the AI Rabbi may give the wrong answer and it is necessary to refer back to human Rabbis and the Torah.
AI in Jewish practise
In January, The Jerusalem Post reported that New York Senior Rabbi Josh Franklin used the AI device ChatGPT to write a sermon. This sparked debate on whether, one day, a robot would have the ability to become a rabbi.
Rabbi Franklin released a statement stating that, despite the AI's ability to write a sermon so well that his congregation believed Rabbi Sacks had written it, AI would never fulfill the role of Rabbi because it lacked 'nefesh' or a soul.
When asked if a robot could be a Rabbi, the question inspired by Rabbi Franklin’s case, the AI responded “No, a robot cannot become a rabbi. According to Jewish law, a rabbi must be a human being who has been ordained by a recognized rabbinical authority.”
The chatbot added that it is "a valuable resource for those seeking to learn more about Jewish law and practice, and I am committed to providing accurate and up-to-date information. I am a valuable tool for those seeking to deepen their understanding of Jewish law and practice, and I am proud to be a part of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement.”