24 Patents and a New Pedagogical Standard: The AI Rules at Hebrew University

Twenty-four patents stand as a testament to the technical depth of Prof. Claudia V. Goldman, an associate professor who has now turned her focus toward the classroom at the Hebrew University Business School in Jerusalem. Since July 2024, she has held this position within the Data Science Department, bringing a unique blend of industrial experience and academic rigor to her teaching. Her primary objective is straightforward: leverage artificial intelligence to tackle genuine, real-world challenges rather than treating the technology as a mere novelty.

Goldman’s journey to this academic role is marked by significant international movement and extensive study. Born in Argentina, she relocated to Israel with her family in January 1984 at the age of 16. After completing secondary education at Mae Boyer High School in Jerusalem in 1986 and serving in the military, she pursued higher education at the Hebrew University. She earned a BSc in computer science, mathematics, and electronics in 1991, an MSc in computer science in 1993, and a PhD in computer science in 1999 under the supervision of the award-winning scholar Prof. Jeff Rosenschein.

Before joining the university faculty, Goldman built a substantial career in research and industry. From 1999 to 2005, she occupied research positions at Bar-Ilan University, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and the University of Haifa. She then transitioned to the private sector, leading a team at Samsung Telecom Research in Herzliya for three years. Following that, she spent 15 years as a research scientist at General Motors’ R&D division, also based in Herzliya. Her professional output includes more than 50 published academic papers alongside her patent portfolio.

In a recent interview conducted at her office, Goldman outlined her specific approach to integrating AI into her curriculum. She establishes clear guidelines regarding when and why students may utilize AI tools. A key requirement is that students must credit the technology and explicitly describe how they employed it. She stated that fully AI-generated responses are not acceptable and that students are aware of her ability to detect machine-generated writing. Instead, she encourages a collaborative dynamic where students brainstorm with AI while maintaining a critical stance, such as verifying the existence of cited sources or checking for inherent biases.

Assessment methods in her courses are designed to evaluate understanding through direct interaction. She utilizes a combination of classwork, presentations, and peer-organized activities. This approach allows her to gauge student comprehension in person rather than relying solely on written submissions. The curriculum also extends beyond technical skills to include discussions on human values and responsibility. The goal is to help students define what kind of professionals and people they wish to become in an increasingly automated world.

Goldman also addressed the concept of a 'Human Reserved' workforce, a proposal previously suggested by Bill Gates to protect certain jobs from automation. She noted that the issue is not a simple binary choice about which professions remain exclusively human. Rather, she emphasized the importance of understanding the specific benefits AI offers in various contexts and identifying the critical skills needed to enhance human roles alongside the technology. The Business School supports this discourse with courses such as AI for Social Good, Responsible AI, and When AI Meets Humans and Society. The university’s Free Listener Program, which allows senior citizens to audit classes, is also beginning its fall semester.

Her interest in user experience and learning agents stems from her time at General Motors, where she worked on integrating such technologies into vehicle interfaces. The aim was to help drivers remain focused on the road while better understanding autonomous driving features. On a personal level, Goldman’s connection to Israel runs deep. Her grandparents arrived in Argentina before the Holocaust, and her parents were born there. As their only child, she attended a Jewish school in Buenos Aires through seventh grade, studying in Yiddish, Hebrew, and Spanish, before moving to public secondary school in the mornings. Her father had long wished to leave Argentina, and in 1983, she told him, 'The only place I can see myself growing up is Israel.' The family made aliyah six months later.

Goldman’s personal life also reflects her academic ties. She met her husband, Prof. Roy Shenhar, a full professor at the Hebrew University’s Institute of Chemistry, on the Givat Ram campus. Their first encounter took place on the stairs of the Ross Building. After running into each other a third time, he followed the Hebrew custom that the person who unexpectedly meets someone three times owes the other ice cream. They met in 1995 and married in 1999.