"GOLEM: A Visual Exploration of Jewish Texts in the Era of Advanced Technology", LABA Artist Fellowship project by Kyle Adler

Inspired by four classic Jewish texts, this project examines through photography the impact of humanity's choices around deploying advanced technologies (AI, VR, robotics, and interconnectivity).

Jewish texts from the Torah to the Talmud and more contemporary writings are rife with stories and ruminations on the golem, an artificial human brought to life by a human rather than the divine. When humanity chooses to play the role of its own creator, how do we keep the new technology under control? Just because we have the technology to spawn a new form of intelligence, must we act on the creative impulse? How is humanity helped and hindered by playing the role of the divine?