Kol Isha from Artificial Intelligence

Ask the Rov: May a man listen to an AI-generated voice resembling a woman?

By Rabbi Chaim Hillel Raskin – Rov of Anash in Petach Tikvah

Halacha forbids a man from listening to the singing voice of a woman who is an ervah, even without intention to derive pleasure from it. In addition, any hirhur (erotic thoughts) that may result is an issur d’oraisa (see additional details in issue 780). The speaking voice of a woman, by contrast, is not considered ervah, for one is habituated to it and it’s assumed not to cause hirhur.¹

Some have argued that the prohibition of ervah only applies if one knows and has seen the woman who is singing, as the Gemara rules about seeing the colorful clothing of a woman, that “the Yetzer Hara doesn’t lust for what the eyes don’t see.” Moreover, a recorded voice is an electronic reproduction and not a woman’s actual voice.² Both of these arguments would apply with even greater force to an AI-generated voice, which isn’t connected to a specific woman.

However, many other poskim contend that the distinction of whether one personally knows the woman is specific to garments, and not relevant to hearing her sing which is itself ervah. Likewise, a recorded voice resembles the real voice and will likely lead to hirhur.³ And independent of the halachic discussion per se, such listening certainly doesn’t align with the conduct of a chossid, who would never even ask such a question.⁴

Regardless, hirhur is always prohibited, and anything that causes hirhur or erotic pleasure is prohibited according to all. The Alter Rebbe rules that even romantic literature is prohibited to read since it arouses a person’s yetzer hara.⁵ Likewise, non-tznius paintings and AI-generated images would be prohibited due to the issur d’oraisa of hirhur.⁶

If a woman’s voice is digitally altered to sound like a man’s voice and doesn’t lead to hirhur, it would be permissible since there is no hirhur and it’s not a woman’s actual voice (ervah). But if a woman naturally has a masculine voice, it remains prohibited as ervah.

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From The Weekly Farbrengen by Merkaz Anash