Judea Pearl Joins StandWithUs Talk on AI and Antisemitism

The free Zoom discussion starts Tuesday at 21:00 Israel time, bringing a leading AI researcher together with a Microsoft designer and a university student.

In a November 7 post on X, Judea Pearl welcomed the opportunity to speak with students and hear their views after Oleg Ivanov, StandWithUs' Northern California director, shared the announcement.

Three Perspectives on AI and Antisemitism

StandWithUs has scheduled "Confronting Zionophobia, Designing Hope" for November 10. Pearl will join Jon Friedman, chief design officer for Microsoft 365, and Jaden Penhaskashi, a StandWithUs Emerson Fellow at the University of California, Los Angeles. The organization says the conversation will explore antisemitism, artificial intelligence and the role of the next generation.

Pearl uses "Zionophobia" to describe opposition to Jewish sovereignty and the denial of a Jewish homeland. He discussed that concept at Stanford University's Daniel Pearl Memorial Lecture in February. It is part of his public writing about Israel and Jewish identity, alongside his scientific work.

Pearl's Work on Machine Reasoning

UCLA identifies Pearl as a professor emeritus of computer science and director of its Cognitive Systems Lab. He received the 2011 A.M. Turing Award for work that helped establish the foundations of modern artificial intelligence. His research has addressed how machines reason under uncertainty and understand cause and effect.

In his UCLA faculty profile, Pearl describes causal models as a path toward machines that can explain why they acted, identify mistakes and avoid repeating them. His 2018 book The Book of Why, coauthored with Dana Mackenzie, brought causal analysis to a general audience. UCLA describes its central question as the move from spotting patterns in data to working out why something happens.

Friedman's Focus on AI Responses

Microsoft identifies Friedman as the leader of Microsoft 365's design and research teams. He has spent two decades at the company, working on new products and changes to existing ones.

Writing on Microsoft's Copilot blog in May, Friedman argued that AI design must address the quality of the response itself. He highlighted tone, structure, readability, usefulness and trustworthiness as factors in whether an answer helps someone complete a task.

StandWithUs also identifies Friedman as a founding leader of Jews At Microsoft, the company's Jewish employee group.

Student Training and How to Attend

Penhaskashi's Emerson Fellowship is part of StandWithUs' university program. Its training covers Israel education, campus leadership and responses to campus antisemitism. Fellows also receive guidance on legal rights and support for organizing educational programs.

The program teaches strategies for countering misinformation and provides training on responding to online hate. Its curriculum includes working with student governments and university administrators.

The webinar is free and takes place live on Zoom on Tuesday, November 10, at 21:00 Israel time. That is 11:00 Pacific Standard Time and 14:00 Eastern Standard Time. Registration is available through the "Register Here" button on StandWithUs' event page, which is linked in Ivanov's announcement quoted by Pearl.