Rabbis in Lakewood, New Jersey, have recently criticized the use of artificial intelligence, claiming it contains "spiritual dangers."
According to sources in the local haredi community, the Rabbis were alarmed after discovering that AI services are available via phone numbers that can be accessed even from phones without an internet connection.
In Israel there is a telephone authority operated by a Rabbis' committee that blocks numbers, known as the 'Kosher floor.' In the United States there is no equivalent mechanism to prevent access to these services, hence the Rabbis' concern.
According to reports, senior Torah authorities debated the issue for a long time, described as "worrying and robbing them of sleep." This week some of the Rabbis even convened and decided to hold a day of prayer.
The purpose of the gathering, they said, was to urge parents and young people to refrain from telephone use of artificial intelligence, which they say involves, "serious Torah prohibitions and the danger of severe addiction and dependency."