JAKARTA - The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has announced a "digital jihad" as a strategic step to remind the public of the dangers of studying religious science only by relying on machines such as artificial intelligence (AI) without the guidance of a clear teacher.
Deputy Chairman of the MUI, Muhammad Cholil Nafis, on the sidelines of the 8th Indonesian Islamic Ulema Congress (KUII), emphasized that the direction of the struggle of the people in the future must begin to target the digital realm to ensure the validity of the source of information that is absorbed by the community.
Cholil assessed that AI technology and digital media can only be used as inspiration or a tool to explore initial information. However, this cannot be used as an absolute basis for learning religion.
"Learning religion requires a transmission of knowledge called sanad. Some guarantee that it is true, original, and valid. Meanwhile, from the media (AI), we often see that some of it may be true, but some of it is wrong," he said.
Therefore, through the momentum of KUII, MUI explicitly reminds the limits of the use of information technology in matters of faith. He emphasized that smart machines will never be able to replace the position and example of a cleric.
"You have to learn from people, from ulama, from ustadz who are qualified and are an example. You can't learn from just a machine," said Cholil Nafis.
Continuing the same concern, MUI General Chair Anwar Iskandar admitted that the life of the community today, from various professions and circles, is no longer possible to be separated from the flow of digitalization.
Anwar assessed that the rapid development of technology brought great benefits, but the harm or danger that followed was no less extraordinary. To curb the negative impact, he encouraged the public not to be passive and began to flood cyberspace with moral messages.
"We want the digitalization in this country, the largest we will fill with da'wah to build the best nation," he said.
To realize the cyber missionary mission, Anwar revealed that MUI has also established a strategic partnership with academics, one of which is the University of Indonesia (UI).
"Especially AI which is a future need, we will fill it with a dignified dawah," said Anwar Iskandar.
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