Such programs as ChatGPT have the ability to draw on the knowledge of the entire Internet to answer factual questions, and can sometimes (but far from always) do so with impressive accuracy. As the technology improves, it’s feasible that Jews might turn to machine-learning software to answer difficult questions of Jewish law, usurping the primary traditional role of the rabbi or halakhic authority. Gil Student takes up the question:
The Torah says regarding the priests: “you are to teach the Children of Israel all the statutes” (Leviticus 10:11). Rabbi Isaac of Corbeil (13th-century France) counts this as a mitzvah [incumbent] on anyone capable of issuing a halakhic ruling, if no one else more capable is available. . . . While others include this [obligation] as part of the commandment to study and teach Torah, Rabbi Isaac sees it as an independent mitzvah. Either way, issuing a halakhic ruling is an act of religious devotion. It is a fulfillment of a divine command that allows the respondent to enter the religious life of the questioner and create for him a new halakhic reality.
Anyone who has studied halakhah can tell people what [a particular halakhic code] says about a specific case. A computer can do this, as well. A person is better than a regular computer at understanding the nuances of a question and offering the appropriate reference source. An AI might be even better at this than a person, with perfect recall of a massive library. However, this is just a matter referencing past rulings.
Issuing a new halakhic ruling is not just about providing a reference—it is a religious activity. I suggest that only those within the religious community, only those who are part of the covenant and fulfill commandments, can create a halakhic reality by issuing a ruling. . . . Someone outside the halakhic covenant cannot create a halakhic reality.
Read more on Torah Musings: https://www.torahmusings.com/2023/06/is-an-ai-posek-kosher/