Prof Claudia Goldman‑Shenhar’s talk, “Click here, if you’re not a robot: AI in today’s age”, drew a large and curious audience keen to make sense of the headlines around artificial intelligence. Framing AI as something we already live with rather than a futuristic threat, she unpacked how algorithms shape what we see, buy and even how we make decisions – often without us noticing.
Goldman focused on the human–AI relationship, asking what it means to trust a system we cannot see, and who is responsible when things go wrong. She highlighted inspiring examples of AI being used for good – from medical diagnosis and personalised learning to tools that help vulnerable people access services – while also warning against bias, opacity and over‑reliance on “black box” models.
What made the lecture especially engaging was her insistence that AI does not replace human judgment but can amplify it when designed with clear values, transparency and accountability in mind. By the end of the evening, participants left not only better informed about how AI works, but also more empowered to ask the right questions and to imagine a future in which intelligent systems are firmly in the service of human flourishing.
This lecture was the latest in the lecture series generously funded by Marc Iarchy in honour of his grandmother, Hebrew University honorary fellow Thea Zucker z’l.