A better chatbot, just for Jewish texts
Can an AI tool help you be a sharper reader? Should it?
Can AI stop giving answers and start teaching you how to think? In this episode of Belief in the Future, I sit down with Zohar Atkins, creator of Yochai, an AI-powered platform reimagining Jewish learning for the age of large language models. We demo Yochai and then talk about it. Rather than functioning as a traditional chatbot that delivers answers on demand, Yochai uses Socratic questioning, personalized learning paths, and curated textual "lenses" to help users think more critically, develop interpretive skills, and engage directly with Jewish sources. Users are guided through texts with questions instead of conclusions.
We explore whether AI can make us better learners without making us lazier thinkers and what role human teachers will play as access to knowledge becomes nearly frictionless. How will AI transform how people study Torah? What aspects of learning should remain difficult? What is religious education ultimately for?
Inside the episode:
[0:00] Beyond the religious chatbot
[7:58] Why questions matter more than answers
[13:54] Friction and the AI study partner
[16:15] Tuning source sheets for different perspectives
[28:38] Should learning be difficult?
[33:47] Jevons paradox and Torah study
[36:47] Taste as the new expertise
[40:43] The next generation of religious education
[47:08] Using AI as a meta tool for developing pedagogy
[50:09] Should we ever turn AI off?
Organizations and links
Jevons paradox and Zohar’s essay about how it connects to Jewish learning
Follow Zohar Atkins
Website: https://www.zoharatkins.com
Our partners
Belief in the Future is produced in partnership with the Faith Family Technology Network and is a production of Sinai and Synapses. Funding for Belief in the Future comes from the Templeton World Charity Foundation.
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I actually think that Claude also engages in Socratic dialogue. It all depends how we approach it. Ironically, it can teach us think better if we don't fall for mere affirmations.