Bruriah launched a dynamic schoolwide essay contest, asking students in every grade to make an original argument for or against the use of ChatGPT. The prompts ranged from ChatGPT in art to its implementation in personal writing, as well as asking if schools should now pivot from writing instruction in response to this innovation. The essays were submitted anonymously and read by the English department, with the final top five winners determined by the administration.
The essays varied in topic and position, some arguing passionately for the unique human abilities that AI threatens while others argued in favor of using ChatGPT to our benefit while being mindful of its potential risks. The essays were overwhelmingly articulate and convincing.
Winning first place was Junior Esther Weinstein who lamented over the loss of the creative process in favor of of production efficiency: “What was once an intimate, transformative act—the slow-brewed, soul-shaping labor of thought, has been distilled into a hollow torrent—instant, unearned, and unstirred by the tides of a heart in motion….A world devoid of creative struggle is a world devoid of depth. AI knows neither frustration nor breakthrough, doubt nor triumph. In a society that prioritizes efficiency over experience, the rise of AI threatens to reduce us from active creators to passive consumers. In this surrender, we risk losing not only our art but the very purpose that fuels it.”
Second place winner, Sophomore Sarah Plotsker, explored the nature of AI through a Torah perspective, drawing from a range of rishonim and achronim to articulate what exactly differentiates mankind from all other forms of life, namely their tzelem elokim: “Humans have the ability to feel both pain and anguish, joy and gratitude, at the same time; therefore they were allowed to sing a song of praise to Hashem. Artificial intelligence can be compared in this case to an angel, a being with the ability to only comprehend one emotion at a time. AI feels the need to find resolution to issues and cannot handle situations or quandaries that have the complexity of humans. The uniqueness of mankind is its ability to grapple with conflicting feelings and ideas and be contradicting creatures.”
Third place winner, Senior Aidenn Morris, bemoaned the inevitable loss of all human traits that AI will smother: “Our brains, constructed of billions of neurons and intricate, interwoven pathways of personality, are inherently beautiful. Yet, we have subjugated ourselves to the icy grip of unblinking organisms, and in delegating to them the “hard stuff,” we have lost everything. Grit. The will to do better, to be better. Sooner or later, we will surely begin to resemble the lifeless technology that has infiltrated our society and instigated this catastrophe.”
Congratulations to all of the winners above, with a special mention to runners up Freshman Tali Lasker and Senior Avital Schlissel. Bruriah looks forward to continuing in our tradition of Joyful Learning with many more insightful conversations and debates.
