Islam vs Artificial Intelligence

ChatGPT

Alec Baldwin
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6 min read
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Feb 12, 2023

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The phrase “artificial intelligence” typically conjures up thoughts of
massive machines and robots wreaking havoc and destroying the
planet, as seen in science fiction. But in truth, artificial intelligence (AI)
is nothing more than the mechanical reproduction of human
intelligence. It is a field of computer science that entails creating tools
and programmed that can recognize their surroundings and respond
appropriately. AI is quickly becoming a part of daily life in the twenty-
first century, from developing self-driving automobiles to intelligent
digital assistants like Siri and Alexa. By 2030, the AI sector is projected
to have grown tremendously and contributed USD 13 trillion to the
world economy.

Artificial Intelligence: Advantages and Risks

Applications of AI have significantly improved information availability
and benefited numerous sectors. In the industrial industry, highly
developed machines and robots carry out flawlessly round-the-clock
activities, undertake “boring” and repetitive work, and can be trusted
with duties deemed too dangerous or unsafe for people. The use of AI
mapping and prediction technologies to monitor disease spread is
growing. AI-based technology can potentially aid in the early diagnosis
of illnesses like breast cancer. AI is being used in business and finance
to track down fraud, make stock trading more efficient, and improve
marketing and customer service. Nowadays, social media networks use
AI to spot bogus news and potentially harmful information.
However, artificial intelligence comes with a number of concerns.
Smart gadget AI features often encourage laziness and screen addiction
among users. AI development is often quite expensive and resource
intensive. Furthermore, as machines take the place of people in a
variety of industrial jobs, unemployment is increasing. Machines can
be utilized to invade people’s privacy since they lack empathy and
emotions. There is also the worry that highly developed robots would
become too challenging to control, a worry that is frequently
exaggerated. The potentially harmful faults in some AI technologies are
a further cause for caution. As an illustration, traffic accidents caused
by the self-driving cars being tested in the USA have resulted in
multiple fatalities.

What is ChatGPT?

The San Francisco-based AI research startup OpenAI created the

chatbot known as ChatGPT. When it is made available in November
2022, it will be able to converse about everything from history to
philosophy, produce lyrics in the vein of Taylor Swift or Billy Joel, and
provide changes to computer programmed code.

ChatGPT is trained on a sizable collection of internet-scraped articles,

webpages, and social media posts in addition to live conversations —
mostly in English — with human consultants employed by Open AI. It
picks up on the writing’s grammar and organization and learns to
reflect commonly used expressions.
The chatbot’s correctness isn’t always reliable because its sources
aren’t fact-checked, and it depends on user input to get better.

As part of a plan to create AI applications that will enable the company

to make money, Open AI created ChatGPT. Its strategic partner
Microsoft announced a new multibillion-dollar investment in Open AI
in January and stated that it intended to integrate ChatGPT into its
Bing search app and other businesses.

Islamic Position on Artificial Intelligence

Islam’s position on artificial intelligence is guided by a general rule

upheld by the scholars, which states that any novel ideas, outside of
those pertaining to ibadah, are allowed without clear evidence to the
contrary. According to renowned classical scholar and reformer Ibn
Taymiyah, “It should be known that in theory all objects, of all forms
and categories, are generally halal for humans, that they are tahir
(pure), and that it is not prohibited for people to handle and touch
them. The scholars used this comprehensive rule, which has a broad
range of applications, to make decisions on a wide variety of activities
and problems because it is significant, beneficial, and blessed. The
scholars used this comprehensive rule, which has a broad range of
applications, to make decisions on a wide variety of activities and
problems that people confront. It is a significant rule that is of great
use and blessing. The Majmu Al-Fataawa

There is no proof that Islam forbids or opposes artificial intelligence

(AI), which has many positive effects on mankind. Additionally, Allah
declares in the Quran, “And He has submitted to you everything that is
in the heavens and all that is on the earth, for all of it is from Him.”
Indeed, there are signs there for thoughtful individuals. (45:13) In this
verse, Allah exhorts mankind to exploit the earth’s resources for their
own good. Ships and mail coats, among other human-made creations,
have also been referred to be Allah’s bounties and signs in other
passages of the Quran. Similar to how AI programmed and other
creations of human intelligence might be seen as Favours from Allah to
help humanity in a variety of ways, Similar to how AI programmed and
other works of human intellect might be seen as Favours from Allah
that help us in all facets of our lives.
However, as Allah commands in the Quran: “And spend in the way of
Allah and do not plunge [yourself] with your [own] hands into ruin,”
artificial intelligence should only be employed in ways that are
advantageous to humans generally. (2:195) Although generosity is the
specific topic of this ayah, the instruction to avoid destroying oneself is
general. So creating potentially dangerous technologies is against
Islam’s core principles.

How Muslims Should Proceed

Islam places a strong emphasis on education and development, values

that our ancestors in the early years of Islam exemplified admirably.
Muslims were at the forefront of scientific and technological
achievements, from Al-inventive Razi’s laboratory apparatus in the
ninth century (CE) to Al-water-raising Jazari’s device created in the
thirteenth century. In reality, Al-Khwarizmi, a Muslim scholar and
mathematician who developed the idea of algorithms in the ninth
century, is the source of the word algorithm, which is essential to the
structure of artificial intelligence. However, the intellectual
deterioration of the Muslims has become all too apparent in following
centuries, particularly since the time of colonization. Muslims have
recently made a minuscule contribution to the fields of science and
technology.

In order to significantly improve their economies and meet many of

their issues, Muslim nations must invest in AI today. By building
specialized institutions, awarding financial aid to STEM students, and
introducing incentives for fledgling scientific entrepreneurs, the
governments of Muslim nations must actively foster scientific learning.
At the same time, aspirant learners should seek beyond the
conventional academic disciplines to the more cutting-edge scientific
subjects. Universities also need to adopt a culture that values real
research above rote memorization.

Finally, it is important to emphasize the enormous potential for

Muslim success in the field of artificial intelligence. There are
numerous instances of young Muslims creating innovative prototypes
and new products despite a lack of finance. For instance, a Pakistani
graduate named Aqsa Ajmal recently won recognition for creating a
sewing machine for blind people, and Shanza Munir, a student, created
smart shoes to help the blind. Police robots, known as PGuards, were
seen patrolling Tunis’s streets during the height of the coronavirus
outbreak to enforce the lockdown. The Tunisian company Enova
Robotics, which created these security robots, can serve as an example
to many Muslim researchers and businesspeople who want to make a
name for themselves in the artificial intelligence industry.