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Artificial intelligence (AI) has quickly become a part of daily life, influencing the information we consume and the decisions we make. And the process is just starting. This places significant responsibility on the AI builder. Designing an AI system is not merely a technical challenge but also a moral and religious one. What information is included, how it is presented and what assumptions shape its worldview all affect the end user. AI is a broad term and we speak here of any AI system that provides information or recommendations to the public, even if this is just a small subset of AI that is already integrated into systems. Judaism has long wrestled with analogous challenges, especially in the realm of publishing, where books and ideas shaped communities and beliefs. The precedents we find in halakhic literature offer guidance on the ethical responsibilities of those building AI systems today.

I. Book Publishing

When you boil the issues down to their basics, in a sense AI systems resemble book publishers. They gather, process and distribute information, often with little distinction between fact and opinion, or between traditional and secular perspectives. Of course, there are differences. Publishers determine the actual words used while AI systems have more independence in expressing ideas. However, the similarities are important. The dangers are obvious: inaccuracies can harm reputations, mislead the public and cause damage to individuals, groups or institutions. Additionally, the dissemination of a secular worldview can significantly undermine religious convictions. Judaism has a lot to say on these subjects.

But a fundamental question arises: who is the judge? Many issues cannot be conclusively proven. What counts as heretical, misleading or damaging? Who decides what is acceptable and what must be avoided? These questions, which arose in the age of the printing press, return with new urgency in the age of artificial intelligence. 

There are two ways to approach the ethical dangers of information technology: as policymakers and as citizens. Policymakers can regulate markets and restrict harmful products. Citizens, lacking that power, must find other ways to protect themselves and their communities. Halakhah addresses publishing issues from both perspectives, which can inform our discussion of AI ethics.

II. Improper Content

AI systems, even the most advanced, can generate errors. However, this is not a new challenge. Authors can include mistakes and misinformation in books, newspapers and magazines.

The Torah demands reliability. The Sages teach, chazakah she-ein chaver motzi mi-yado davar she-eino mesukan, it is assumed that a scholar does not release something that is defective and unreliable (Eruvin 32a). Your product, your words, your teaching must be accurate and responsible. This principle applies no less to an AI builder than to an author or teacher. If you release a system that frequently misinforms, you have failed the Torah standards expected of you. You might also be violating prohibitions against slander (lashon ha-ra) against individuals, groups and institutions. AI builders bear an ethical duty to ensure accuracy, reduce harm and constantly refine systems to prevent the spread of falsehoods.

But inaccuracies are not the only danger. AI can spread not only errors but also perspectives foreign and contradictory to Torah. By default, most AI systems are trained on vast libraries of secular writing, much of which reflects assumptions inconsistent with Jewish tradition. Some of these relate to unacceptable social behaviors and others relate to fundamental Torah beliefs. Presenting such perspectives as neutral fact and normative behavior and beliefs is spiritually dangerous. Books, likewise, present similar challenges.

III. Jewish Approaches to Regulating Publishing

How have Jews historically dealt with similar challenges? There are two possible perspectives: policymakers and citizens. As mentioned above, policymakers wield control and can regulate markets. But for most of Jewish history, Jews lacked such power. Indeed, Jews often utilized Christian book publishers. Instead, Jewish communities had to assert religious responsibility as citizens, finding creative ways to protect their members without market control.

Given that Jewish publishing houses have existed for centuries, it is surprising how few responsa have been published about their ethical responsibilities to the public. There is one mention of book publishers in Shulchan Arukh (Orach Chaim 307:16) declaring that the publishers of romance novels cause people to sin by thinking improper thoughts. In the 1970s, Rav Moshe Feinstein addressed the case of publishing heretical works. He famously insists that the commentary of R. Yehudah He-Chassid on the Torah is a heretical forgery. Significantly for our purposes, Rav Feinstein rules that it is forbidden for a Jewish publisher to print heresy. More strikingly, he adds that even if the overt heretical passages are removed, the publisher may not publish the rest of the work which might still contain confusing or misleading ideas. Even subtly non-traditional ideas are forbidden (Iggeros Moshe, Yoreh De’ah, no. 115).

In the AI context, this is particularly pressing. A model that offers secular or non-traditional interpretations of morality, halakhah or faith can easily mislead the unwary. The risk is not only false information but distorted frameworks of thought. AI builders must ask: what perspectives are we embedding? What worldview does the system normalize? Policymakers must consider: what perspectives can we, as a society, tolerate and what can we not? How do we enforce minimal standards to prevent dangerous views from proliferating? The first step is generating agreement that there should be minimal standards. The second step is deciding what they are. Neither step is easy. 

Even when the information comes from a reputable source, it might be improper to provide to the public. For example, the Talmud (Shabbos 30b) discusses whether certain biblical books should have been removed from circulation. There was no doubt that they were written under divine inspiration. The problem was their confusing and contradictory natures. If the objectionable passages could be explained, then there would be a basis to allow their circulation. However, responsible authorities cannot allow the circulation of a theologically confusing and misleading book, even one written under divine inspiration.

I remember when Tipper Gore led the fight against violent and profane lyrics in music. To society’s great detriment, her team’s partial win consisted only of labeling such music as explicit and nothing beyond. In my opinion, AI builders are ethically bound to ensure that AI avoids violent, profane and otherwise destructive output. And regulators are ethically bound to ensure that unethical AI systems do not enter society. However, even if this fight is won in the US, unethical AI systems will certainly be built in other countries that do not regulate their technology. Perhaps this is overly pessimistic, but it seems almost impossible to prevent those AI systems from being used in the US. In other words, no one really controls the markets. Therefore, we need to look at another model for responsible publishing.

To be continued…

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On Shemini Atzeres of 5786, the Jewish world lost Rabbi Moshe Hauer zt”l, one of the wisest and most quietly pious people I have ever had the privilege of knowing. Rabbi Hauer was a spiritual giant and a personal mentor of mine, but it did not start out that way. When I first interacted with Rabbi Hauer when I was a lay leader at the OU, I found his actions puzzling and contrary to my instincts on how a leader should run an organization. Let me tell you how he not only won me over but convinced me to leave my career in Finance and work for him full time.

I served for years as a volunteer on the editorial committee of Jewish Action. The committee meets to plan each issue and offers guidance through email on an ongoing basis. In the past, we typically operated independently unless questions arose that required direction from OU leadership. The system worked well and the magazine earned wide praise for its educational and inspirational value.

That changed in 2020 when Rabbi Hauer joined the OU as executive vice president and began attending and actively contributing to editorial meetings. He offered detailed thoughts on specific articles and themes: what topics we should cover, whether to take a first-person angle or more of a thought piece, who would be a good writer or interviewee for any specific article, etc. The involvement of the head of such a vast organization — overseeing NCSY, Yachad and more — initially troubled me. Was this level of hands-on participation good for the organization? On a personal level, he and I often disagreed in those meetings, and I assumed he did not value my input. I felt alienated from a publication I loved and frustrated by what I mistook for micromanagement.

I expected that he did not appreciate my contribution because of our frequent disagreements. Over time, through continued conversation, I realized how wrong I had been. Rabbi Hauer’s involvement reflected a fundamental belief that came to resonate deeply with me. He believed in the transformative power of ideas. OU programs are about action — outreach, assistance, advocacy, etc. — but ideas are what inspire action. To change the world, you start with changing how people think. You open conversation on urgent issues and challenge assumptions. Without defining problems and understanding their causes, how can you ever solve them? How do we energize people to take action without first convincing them that this must be a priority?

Nearly all of my many conversations with Rabbi Hauer returned to this theme: the world is complex. We must weigh priorities and decide which takes precedence. Talk must lead to insight, and insight must lead to action. Discussion without direction, without a takeaway, was for him a missed opportunity.

But even practical conversation alone is not enough. It has to reflect a Torah perspective rooted in traditional sources and guided by the sages of our time. Rabbi Hauer was uncompromising in his fidelity to Torah values on every minor detail, every word, every implication. This came not merely from obedience to halachah but from his essence. He strove to align every decision with Hashem’s will, through halachah and hashkafah, Jewish law and thought. His faith and awe of Hashem infused everything he said and did. He continually sought guidance from great rabbis to confirm that he was walking the right path.

I came to see that his attention to Jewish Action and passionate care for its detailed decisions stemmed not from executive control but from religious responsibility. He saw the magazine as a crucial forum to explore how we as a community can better fulfill Hashem’s will. He began with first principles—analyze issues, inspire reflection, identify even partial solutions. Rabbi Hauer often reminded us that the Orthodox community has much to celebrate, yet always has more work to do and more people to help.

Years earlier, in 2011, Rabbi Hauer co-founded the Klal Perspectives journal to discuss communal challenges and solutions. After joining the OU, he extended that mission through Jewish Action, in a more accessible format. He valued disagreement and a spectrum of viewpoints. He wanted ideas tested. Hearing other perspectives and possibilities sharpened his thinking. Sometimes he conceded to me, sometimes not. He was a persistent man in pursuing Hashem’s will, but at the same time he was open to hearing and honestly considering other views particularly from other parts of the community.

Eventually, as he drew me into more conversations and projects, I realized that our differences had revealed a shared purpose. I followed his guidance as a student before a teacher, challenging him respectfully and often being rewarded with his humor in return. His appreciation of our interactions led him to invite me to work for him full time earlier this year, which for me is a dream come true. I will forever mourn that I had only a few months under the mentorship of such a great man. 

Rabbi Hauer’s blend of conviction and openness, his strength of principle and willingness to listen, endeared him to all who knew him. These qualities, as so many are now testifying, allowed him to elevate individuals and the community alike.

I learned so much from Rabbi Hauer in such a short time. When I first drafted this article, I began with a clever opening line meant to create suspense. Then I heard Rabbi Hauer’s voice in my mind, asking in the language of familiarity and mentorship, “Really? That is how you begin speaking about a rabbi who passed away? Where’s the kavod ha-Torah, the honor for the Torah?” In my head, I explained the literary effect and the buildup to the kavod, the respect which he demanded for others. To which I heard Rabbi Hauer’s voice say the pithy and powerful phrase I imagine he would make up on the spot, “More kavod, less clever.” And then he repeated in a hushed voice, almost a whisper, as if reproaching himself more than me, “More kavod, less clever.” 

I pray that we are able to live up to his towering example and his uncompromising ideals, and continue reflecting in our actions more kavod — for the Torah, for the community and for every individual — as Rabbi Hauer taught with his tireless example.

Rabbi Gil Student is the Director of Jewish Media, Publications and Editorial Communications at the Orthodox Union.

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