Kemenag invites boarding schools to actively contribute to the development of AI
JAKARTA - The Ministry of Religion of the Republic of Indonesia (Kemenag RI) encourages the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in the environment of pesantren to support the progress of students in the technology sector.
Director of the Ministry of Religion's Pesantren, Basnang Said, said the use of AI in pesantren is not only limited to the use of technology, but also how pesantren can contribute to enriching the knowledge base used by the AI system.
According to him, because AI works based on available data and information, pesantren needs to actively document and include various knowledge, innovations, and Islamic scientific treasures so that they can become part of the source of information processed by AI.
He gave an example, various Islamic studies from scholars and pesantren figures such as Gus Baha can be documented and processed into a knowledge base that can later be utilized by the community through AI technology.
According to him, Islamic organizations such as Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah need to actively contribute so that young generations get credible religious references from the technology they use.
The Chairman of the Rabithah Ma'ahid Islamiyah Nahdlatul Ulama (RMI NU), KH Hodri Arief, admitted that many pesantren have so far been cautious in adopting information technology because they are afraid of information floods that are difficult to control.
However, openness to technology must still go hand in hand with efforts to maintain the values and traditions of pesantren which have long been the foundation of Islamic education.
"We always maintain the legacy of the amal cultural science which is still very good in pesantren. And it must not change. But at the same time, we are encouraged to take new things that are relevant, better, which can support the progress of Pesantren. So in this context, Artificial Intelligence is something that is very interesting," said Hodri Arief in the Al Teaching Power Impact Forum with NUcare and Microsoft on Monday, June 29.
He assessed that AI offers various benefits, including accelerating the learning process and access to information. However, the technology should not replace the personal relationship between students and teachers, which has always been a hallmark of pesantren education.