“Artificial intelligence yes, but according to Islamic values”

The Prime Minister spoke at the Turath Islami Festival on Islamic intellectual heritage, held in the State of Selangor. According to the prime minister, advances in AI – in his opinion based on Western ideas and concepts – in Malaysia must “go hand in hand with Islamic principles.”

Kuala Lumpur () – Islamic tradition and principles must be applied in the use of artificial intelligence in Malaysia, declared Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, underlining that until now the development of the technology has been based on Western ideas and concepts.

“The artificial intelligence sector should not be used entirely according to the Western model, but the values ​​of ‘turath Islam’ should be applied to it,” the prime minister said during the opening of an academic seminar (Riyadhu As-Salihin), which was held along with the Turath Islami Festival in Shah Alam. Turath Islam” refers to the intellectual legacy of the golden age of Islam.

“The skills and progress of AI in the country must be filled with the treasures of knowledge and heritage of Islam, so that they serve as a corpus and so that the development of technology goes hand in hand with Islamic adab and akhlak,” in reference to Islamic morals and practices. “I am very concerned that the values ​​incorporated into technology refer to Western thinking,” continued Anwar Ibrahim. “Therefore, I believe that the Islamic intellectual tradition must be included so that the application of artificial intelligence in Muslim countries does not deviate from the Islamic system and moral values.”

At the same time, the prime minister praised the local government of Selangor state for organizing the Turath Islami Festival (the Islamic heritage festival, which was held from May 26 to June 2) to revive the masterpieces of Islam and, at At the same time, feed the “culture of love of knowledge” in Malaysia. “What is being done in Selangor is interesting,” commented the prime minister. “The state strives to maintain the tradition of spreading knowledge in the old way, through pondoks and shaykhs” (Islamic schools and mentors or teachers).

The festival was attended by some of the leading figures in the Islamic world, including the former Grand Mufti of Egypt, Professor Ali Jum’ah.

Selangor State Governor Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari, who was also present at the festival, stated: “We are committed to integrating Islamic tradition by establishing the Turath Academy, under the leadership of the state mosque, the Masjid. Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah. The state government has also drawn up a program for a series of lectures with religious scholars in mosques, a practice called “talaqqi”. Initially, the project will be launched in nine districts in Selangor.

«We are aware that in modernity and with the limitations of time, especially in the face of political, economic, social and globalization crises, many of us are almost overwhelmed by the search for something to hold on to, so some of us fall in extremism, fanaticism, racism and intolerance. “It is time to embrace turath as a pillar for the people,” Amirudin said.