Malaysia Prime Minister Urges AI Use for Modern Islamic Learning
Translated from Malay and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.
At a glance
- Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim advocates for leveraging AI to enhance the teaching and learning of the Quran and Islam.
- He stressed that AI implementation must be guided by moral values and ethics, not solely for skill acquisition.
- The initiative aims to address challenges in Quranic literacy among Malaysian students, despite existing religious education programs.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called for Malaysia to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool to modernize the dissemination of Islamic knowledge, particularly concerning the Quran. He emphasized that the nation must fully harness this new technology to teach Islamic principles and the Quranic text using contemporary methods.
"We have new technology, we have AI," Anwar stated, posing a rhetorical question about the potential of this technology for religious education. "Can we utilize (AI) to learn the Quran and Islam?" He further stressed that the integration of AI must be grounded in ethical considerations, asserting, "AI must have values. AI must be the core of morality." This highlights a concern that AI should not be used merely to develop skills or understanding devoid of ethical frameworks.
We have new technology, we have AI. But, are we going to let others learn from AI? So, can we utilize (AI) to learn the Quran and Islam?
Anwar's remarks, made during the launch of Tadabur Mushaf Malaysia Madani and MaโIdah Wanita Madani events, come amid ongoing efforts to strengthen religious education in Malaysia. He acknowledged that despite the nation's commitment to introducing Quranic studies in schools, a significant number of students still struggle with reading and comprehending the Quran. This gap underscores the need for innovative approaches to religious education.
The Prime Minister also recognized the role of parents in teaching children to read the Quran, while also thanking the Penang Islamic religious administration for providing digital learning resources. This dual approach, combining parental responsibility with technological assistance and administrative support, reflects a comprehensive strategy to improve Quranic literacy across Malaysia.
AI must have values. AI must be the core of morality.
Originally published by Utusan Malaysia in Malay. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.