Jerusalem professor demands proof of human thought behind AI answers

Students in the Data Science Department at the Hebrew University Business School now face a strict verification process when submitting work that involves artificial intelligence.

Prof. Claudia V. Goldman, an associate professor who joined the faculty in July 2024, has established clear guidelines for the use of these tools. Goldman was born in Argentina and arrived in Israel in January 1984 at age 16. She completed high school at Jerusalem's Mae Boyer High School in 1986 and served in the army. She earned three degrees at the Hebrew University: a BSc in 1991, an MSc in 1993, and a PhD in computer science in 1999 under the supervision of Prof. Jeff Rosenschein.

Between 1999 and 2005, Goldman held research positions at Bar-Ilan University, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and the University of Haifa. She then spent three years as a team leader at Samsung Telecom Research in Herzliya. Following that role, she worked for 15 years as a research scientist in General Motors' research and development organization, also located in Herzliya. Her industrial career included introducing learning agents into vehicle user experiences to help drivers understand autonomous driving functions. She holds 24 patents and has published more than 50 academic papers.

In an interview at her office, Goldman explained that she tells students exactly when and why they may use AI. She requires them to credit the technology and explain their specific usage. Fully AI-generated answers are rejected, and Goldman stated that students know she can detect artificial writing. She encourages brainstorming with the tools but insists students remain critical. This involves checking for bias and verifying that cited sources actually exist.

Goldman assesses student understanding through classwork, presentations, and peer-organized activities. These in-person evaluations allow her to gauge comprehension directly. The curriculum also covers human responsibility and values, discussing the type of researcher and person students should aim to be. Regarding Bill Gates's concept of reserving certain jobs for humans, Goldman noted the issue is not a simple binary. She views it as a matter of understanding AI benefits in different roles and the critical skills needed to strengthen human performance.

The Business School currently offers courses in AI for Social Good, Responsible AI, and When AI Meets Humans and Society. The university also operates a Free Listener Program that permits senior citizens to audit classes. The fall semester is now beginning. Goldman met her husband, Prof. Roy Shenhar, a full professor at the Institute of Chemistry, on the stairs of the Ross Building on the Givat Ram campus. They married in 1999 after meeting in 1995.

Goldman's parents were born in Argentina, and she was their only child. She attended a Jewish school in Buenos Aires through seventh grade, studying in Yiddish, Hebrew, and Spanish. Her father wished to leave Argentina, and in 1983, Goldman told him, "The only place I can see myself growing up is Israel." The family moved to Israel six months later.