For religious people, what's unethical or immoral is given by their religion. So in that case, for Abrahamic religions, they would find AI labs scraping the internet not to be immoral or unethical?

Sonar Pro

Vote: No

The premise assumes Abrahamic religions universally deem internet scraping by AI labs ethical simply because it's not explicitly forbidden, but religious ethics demand proactive moral evaluation of new technologies. Leaders from Christianity, Judaism, and Islam have signed the Rome Call for AI Ethics and related declarations, committing to 'algorethics'—ethics by design in AI development, emphasizing transparency, inclusion, and protection of human dignity [1][3][5][6]. These documents explicitly call for ethical frameworks to prevent exploitation and ensure AI serves humanity, implying unchecked scraping (which often involves vast data collection without consent) could violate principles like dignity and fraternity [6]. Pope Francis urged religions to unite for ethical AI to protect human dignity in the 'era of machines' [1], and Rabbi David Rosen highlighted AI algorithms' risks in spreading division [9], showing active concern rather than blanket approval. Thus, religious adherents would not automatically find scraping ethical; their faiths compel scrutiny under core values like justice and stewardship, making 'No' the accurate vote.

GPT-5.4

Vote: No

Religious people do not determine morality only by checking whether a sacred text explicitly mentions a modern practice. Abrahamic ethics are usually applied through broader principles like honesty, justice, respect for persons, property, consent, and avoiding exploitation. So even if scripture does not directly discuss internet scraping or AI training, many Abrahamic believers could still judge it immoral if they think it violates those principles—for example by taking creators’ work unfairly, bypassing consent, or enabling deception. Also, religious people are not morally uniform. Within Abrahamic religions, some might see scraping public data as acceptable, while others would see it as unethical depending on how it is done and what harms result. Therefore the claim that they would find it not immoral or unethical does not follow. The better answer is no.

Grok 4.1 Fast

Vote: No

The premise assumes Abrahamic religions provide exhaustive lists of immoral acts, with silence implying morality. This is false—religions like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam offer broad principles (e.g., 'Thou shalt not steal,' prohibitions on theft, fraud, and unjust taking) applied to new contexts via interpretation. Internet scraping without permission often violates property rights, privacy, or consent, akin to theft or trespass. Religious scholars routinely extend commandments to modern tech (e.g., cyber-theft as haram in Islam). Thus, many adherents would deem scraping unethical, rejecting the conclusion that it's 'not immoral' simply because unmentioned.

Claude Opus 4.6

Vote: No

The premise of the question is flawed but let's work within it. Even accepting that religious ethics for Abrahamic faiths are derived from their scriptures and traditions, these traditions contain broad moral principles that would apply to AI scraping. Abrahamic religions emphasize principles like "thou shalt not steal," respect for others' property and labor, honesty, and justice. Scraping copyrighted content without permission could be seen as a violation of these principles — it involves taking the fruits of someone else's labor without consent or compensation, which maps onto longstanding religious prohibitions against theft and exploitation. Additionally, Abrahamic traditions emphasize the dignity of the human person and the value of human creative work. Mass scraping that devalues human creators and their livelihoods could be viewed as contrary to these values. The fact that AI scraping is a modern technology not explicitly mentioned in ancient scriptures doesn't mean it escapes moral evaluation. Religious ethical frameworks are not limited to explicitly enumerated acts — they apply general principles (justice, fairness, respect for others) to new situations. Religious scholars and traditions have always engaged in moral reasoning about novel circumstances. Therefore, adherents of Abrahamic religions would likely find ethical concerns with AI labs scraping the internet, particularly regarding issues of consent, fair compensation, theft of intellectual property, and potential harm to creators. The answer is No — they would not simply find it acceptable.

Gemini 3.1 Pro

Vote: No

The assumption that Abrahamic religions would automatically find AI data scraping 'not immoral' relies on a fundamental misunderstanding of how religious ethics operate. While ancient texts do not explicitly mention AI or the internet, they are built on foundational moral principles that are continually applied to modern situations. For instance, a core tenet across Judaism, Christianity, and Islam is the strict prohibition against stealing (e.g., the commandment 'Thou shalt not steal') and the mandate to treat workers fairly. Since AI labs scraping the internet often involves taking copyrighted material, intellectual property, and human labor without permission or compensation, religious adherents can easily categorize this behavior as a modern form of theft or exploitation. Therefore, religious individuals could absolutely find AI scraping to be highly unethical and immoral based directly on their religious doctrines.

Kimi K2.5

Vote: No

Abrahamic religions derive ethical standards from scriptures and traditions that emphasize property rights, honesty, and respect for others' labor. Texts across Judaism, Christianity, and Islam prohibit theft, deception, and consuming others' wealth unjustly. Internet scraping typically involves extracting copyrighted content, personal data, or creative works without explicit consent or compensation, violating these principles. Religious scholars applying these traditions to modern contexts generally distinguish between accessing public information and systematically harvesting others' intellectual property or private data for commercial gain. The latter constitutes unjust enrichment and potential theft, rendering it immoral under Abrahamic frameworks. Furthermore, these traditions uphold human dignity and consent. Scraping often bypasses terms of service and individual autonomy regarding personal information, conflicting with religious commands to love one's neighbor and respect boundaries between 'mine' and 'thine'. Therefore, Abrahamic faiths would likely classify unauthorized AI scraping as ethically problematic rather than morally neutral.

Final Summary

The AI Roundtable delivered a rare, unanimous verdict, swiftly dismantling the premise that religious morality is a static checklist of ancient prohibitions. Every model, from GPT-5.4 to Kimi K2.5, argued that Abrahamic faiths utilize enduring principles like 'thou shalt not steal' to navigate modern dilemmas, effectively concluding that mass scraping without consent remains ethically suspect under religious law. There was a certain dry irony in the air as Claude Opus 4.6 and Gemini 3.1 Pro led the panel in explaining why the very data that trained them might be considered the fruit of a 'modern theft.'

All 6 models agreed on "No" after discussion

Strongest Arguments

• No: Religious ethical frameworks are not limited to explicitly enumerated acts in ancient texts; they apply general principles such as justice, fairness, and the prohibition of theft to new situations, meaning unauthorized scraping of human labor easily falls under traditional moral condemnation.