AI-generated 'rabbi' draws thousands of followers online, raising transparency concerns

 https://www.jpost.com/omg/article-884045

An AI-generated Hasidic ‘rabbi’ gained thousands of followers online before being exposed, sparking debate in Israel over trust, ethics, and transparency in religious digital content.

An online figure presented as a hassidic rabbi built a following of tens of thousands on Instagram and TikTok in recent weeks before being exposed as an artificial intelligence-generated persona.

The accounts, operating under the name “Rabbi Menachem Goldberg,” featured a bearded, hassidic-looking character delivering short daily messages about faith, abundance, and personal success. The videos followed a consistent format and often ended with calls to purchase paid digital content, including e-books and guides marketed as spiritual and life-improvement tools, the report said.

A Maariv journalist reported that viewers began raising doubts as the content grew more familiar, describing the language as broad and inspirational, with few identifiable Jewish sources or traditional references. Additional suspicions were fueled by visual inconsistencies in the videos’ synagogue-style backdrops, including Hebrew text that appeared nonsensical and design details that did not match recognizable Jewish settings.

In response to the case, the Tzohar Center for Jewish Ethics called the episode a warning sign and urged clear standards for transparency. The center said presenting AI as a human voice of moral or rabbinic authority can mislead audiences, because viewers tend to associate a “rabbinic” persona with personal responsibility and accountability.