Hebrew University Professor Integrates AI Into Data Science Curriculum

The rapid integration of artificial intelligence into higher education has prompted faculty across the country to rethink traditional assessment methods. At the Hebrew University Business School in Jerusalem, Associate Professor Claudia V. Goldman is leading that shift by embedding AI literacy directly into the core of her data science curriculum.

Goldman’s approach to teaching is grounded in transparency and strict accountability. In a recent interview conducted in her office, she explained that students are explicitly told when and why they may utilize AI tools. She mandates that students credit the technology and articulate exactly how they used it. Fully generated answers are not accepted, and she noted that students are aware of her ability to detect AI-generated text. Instead of relying on the machine for final output, she encourages them to use AI for brainstorming while maintaining a critical eye on the results.

A central part of her method involves teaching students to verify AI outputs for bias or non-existent sources. This practice is designed to keep students engaged in the analytical process rather than allowing the technology to do the thinking for them. By requiring this level of scrutiny, she aims to cultivate a generation of researchers who understand the strengths and limitations of the tools they employ.

Assessment in Goldman’s classes relies on a blend of classwork, presentations, and peer-led activities. This mix allows her to evaluate student understanding in person, ensuring that the learning process remains interactive. Beyond technical skills, the courses discuss human responsibility and values, prompting students to consider what kind of professional and person they wish to become in an increasingly automated world.

Goldman’s perspective on the future of work reflects a nuanced view of human roles. Addressing Bill Gates’ concept of reserving certain jobs for humans, she argued that the issue is not a simple binary of which professions stay human. Rather, it is about understanding the specific benefits AI can bring to different contexts and identifying the critical skills needed to complement those technological advances. The Business School supports this view with courses such as AI for Social Good, Responsible AI, and When AI Meets Humans and Society.

Her professional background informs her current academic focus. Before joining the Hebrew University in July 2024, Goldman spent 15 years as a research scientist at General Motors’ research and development organization in Herzliya. During that time, she worked on introducing learning agents into the vehicle user experience to help drivers focus on the road and better understand autonomous driving functions. Prior to that, she led a team at Samsung Telecom Research in Herzliya for three years. She holds 24 patents and has published more than 50 academic papers.

Goldman’s personal history is marked by a journey from Argentina to Israel. Born in Buenos Aires, she moved to Israel with her family in January 1984 at the age of 16. Her grandparents had arrived in Argentina before many relatives were killed in the Holocaust. She attended a Jewish school through seventh grade, studying in Yiddish, Hebrew, and Spanish, before adding public secondary school in the mornings. Her father had long wished to leave Argentina, and in 1983, Goldman told him, "The only place I can see myself growing up is Israel." The family made aliyah six months later.

She completed high school at Jerusalem's Mae Boyer High School in 1986 and served in the army. She then earned three degrees at the Hebrew University, including a BSc in 1991, an MSc in 1993, and a PhD in 1999 under the supervision of Prof. Jeff Rosenschein. Her postdoctoral research took her to Bar-Ilan University, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and the University of Haifa between 1999 and 2005.

Goldman met her husband, Prof. Roy Shenhar, a full professor at the Hebrew University’s Institute of Chemistry, on the Givat Ram campus in 1995. They first met on the stairs of the Ross Building and ran into each other twice more. Following a Hebrew custom that the person met unexpectedly three times owes the other ice cream, he honored the tradition. They married in 1999. The university also runs a Free Listener Program that allows senior citizens to audit courses as the fall semester begins.