Hebrew University professor sets new standards for AI use in data science classes

Students in the Data Science Department at the Hebrew University Business School now face strict new rules for using artificial intelligence. Starting with the current fall semester, Prof. Claudia V. Goldman requires students to prove they are not simply submitting fully AI-generated work. This change affects how students complete assignments and how they are evaluated in their courses.

Goldman, who has served as an associate professor since July 2024, tells students explicitly when and why they may use AI tools. She mandates that learners credit the technology and explain their usage process. Fully AI-generated answers are rejected. Students are aware that Goldman can detect AI in their writing, which forces them to remain critical of the output.

The new protocol encourages students to brainstorm with AI while maintaining oversight. Goldman asks students to check for bias in the information and to verify that cited sources actually exist. This approach ensures that the technology serves as a tool for problem-solving rather than a replacement for human understanding. The goal is to solve real-world problems using AI effectively.

Evaluation methods include classwork, presentations, and peer-organized activities. These formats allow Goldman to assess student understanding in person. The curriculum also covers human responsibility and values. Discussions focus on what kind of researcher and professional students should become in an era of increasing automation.

Goldman brings extensive industry experience to these classroom standards. She held research posts at Bar-Ilan University, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and the University of Haifa between 1999 and 2005. She then worked in industry for 18 years, including three years at Samsung Telecom Research and 15 years at General Motors' research and development organization in Herzliya. She holds 24 patents and has published over 50 academic papers.

Her career includes work on learning agents for vehicle user experiences at General Motors. This research aimed to help drivers stay focused and understand autonomous driving functions. Before joining academia, she earned a BSc, MSc, and PhD in computer science from the Hebrew University. Her doctoral supervisor was Prof. Jeff Rosenschein.

Goldman arrived in Israel from Argentina in January 1984. She was 16 years old at the time. Her family made aliyah after she expressed a desire to grow up in Israel. She graduated from Mae Boyer High School in 1986 and served in the army. She met her husband, Prof. Roy Shenhar, on the Hebrew University campus in 1995. They married in 1999.