Will AI Replace Rabbis?

The debate around AI in the rabbinate parallels conversations in other fields.

The buzz around artificial intelligence (AI) has reached nearly every profession, from law to medicine to accounting, and yes, even to the rabbinate. As more people discover the power of AI tools like ChatGPT, rabbis are experimenting with how this technology might assist them in crafting sermons, teaching Torah and connecting with their communities. But as with so many technological innovations, the rise of AI has sparked both fascination and fear. Could AI actually replace rabbis?

In December 2022, I watched my colleague Rabbi Joshua Franklin of the Jewish Center of the Hamptons put this question to the test in a Facebook video. He delivered a sermon written entirely by ChatGPT and only revealed the source at the end. The reaction was mixed — some congregants were amazed at the technology, while others were disturbed at the thought of a “robot rabbi.” Rabbi Franklin himself admitted that the AI sermon was coherent but lacked the depth, emotion and human connection that make one of his typical sermons truly impactful.

The Human Side of the Rabbinate

The debate around AI in the rabbinate parallels conversations in other fields. In medicine, AI helps with diagnostics, but it can’t comfort a patient in distress. In law, AI can review contracts, but it can’t stand before a jury and passionately argue a case. In accounting, AI can crunch numbers but can’t weigh complex ethical considerations. Similarly, while AI can generate sermon ideas or provide commentary on Torah texts, it lacks the human qualities that are essential to rabbinic work — empathy, wisdom, and a deep connection to tradition and community.

Serving as a rabbi isn’t just about delivering a well-crafted sermon. If that were the only function, maybe rabbis should be concerned about the future of AI technology. Rabbis guide families through life’s most joyous and painful moments. They mediate conflicts, inspire spiritual growth and serve as a moral compass. These roles demand emotional intelligence, creativity and authenticity — qualities no algorithm can replicate.

Geneivat Da’at  and the Ethics of AI

For rabbis experimenting with AI tools like ChatGPT, there’s another Jewish value to consider: geneivat da’at, the prohibition against deceit or misrepresentation. If rabbis use AI to assist in writing a sermon or crafting an email, they must be transparent with their congregants. Trust is the cornerstone of the rabbi-congregant relationship and failing to disclose the use of AI risks eroding that trust.

Rabbi Geoffrey Mitleman, co-founder of Sinai and Synapses, an organization that bridges the scientific and religious worlds, has explored the ethical challenges of AI. He warns that while AI can process data and generate ideas, it cannot grasp the complexities of human relationships or make moral judgments. This is where rabbis — and all professionals — must tread carefully, ensuring that technology supports their work without compromising their integrity or the trust of those they serve.

In his new book, Technology and Theology: How AI is Impacting Religion, Rabbi Andrew Bloom addresses the ways AI functions in religious practice and how it can enhance and transform worship. He looks at how AI is “increasingly embedded in Jewish religious practice like virtual prayer services, AI-enhanced Torah study platforms and digitally mediated communal experiences.”

While Rabbi Bloom points out positive outcomes of AI integration, he also cautions about the risks of depersonalization and over-simplification. The ethical and Jewish legal factors of AI becoming a regular part of Jewish life, he explains, “will determine how AI shapes the religious landscape for generations to come.”

Partnering with AI Not Competing

Rabbi Joshua Bennett of Temple Israel in West Bloomfield sees AI as a tool to enhance, not replace, rabbinic leadership. In a recent sermon, he acknowledged AI’s potential to assist with everything from brainstorming sermon ideas to facilitating Torah study.

But he also emphasized that the heart of the rabbinate — building relationships, offering pastoral care and inspiring a sense of purpose — cannot be automated. “AI can help us with the ‘what,’ but only we can deliver the ‘why,’” he explained.

Rabbi Franklin’s experiment with ChatGPT underscored this point. While AI can produce text that is coherent and even thought-provoking, it cannot replicate the unique voice, lived experiences and personal connections that rabbis brings to their roles.

The Future of AI and the Rabbinate

There has been plenty of speculation — and some alarmist headlines — about AI taking over jobs. But the reality is more nuanced. AI is not here to replace rabbis, doctors, lawyers or accountants. Instead, it’s a tool that can help professionals work more efficiently, freeing them to focus on what only humans can do.

In the rabbinate, this might mean using ChatGPT to generate ideas for a sermon’s introduction or to gather insights on a Torah portion or to help a bat mitzvah student brainstorm ideas of where to volunteer for a mitzvah project. It might mean leveraging AI to streamline administrative tasks, so rabbis have more time for counseling and teaching. But no matter how sophisticated the technology becomes, it will never replace the human connection, spiritual insight and moral leadership that define the rabbinate.

AI, like ChatGPT, represents an incredible technological leap, and rabbis are right to explore its possibilities. But as Jewish tradition teaches, technology must always serve humanity, not the other way around. The principle of geneivat da’at reminds us to use these tools with transparency and integrity.

As Rabbi Franklin demonstrated, AI can write a sermon, but it takes a rabbi to truly deliver one. And as Rabbi Bennett suggested, AI can assist in the “how,” but it will never replace the “why.” Like other professionals, rabbis will increasingly rely on AI to enhance their work. But when it comes to guiding and inspiring Jewish communities, there’s no substitute for the human touch.

The rabbinate may evolve, but its heart and soul will always remain deeply human.

Originally published in The Jewish News