Malaysia's AI-powered Islamic preachers spark debate in tightly regulated country
What's the story
The introduction of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered Islamic preachers in Malaysia has sparked a debate over its impact on local Islamic teachings.
The country, where Islam is the state religion, has strict regulations for religious discourse.
Preachers are required to have official credentials and follow state-sanctioned interpretations of Islam.
However, AI avatars such as "AI-Dr Munir" and "AI-Dr Munirah" are now being used to answer questions about Islamic rulings and societal issues.
Training details
AI avatars trained on extensive Islamic literature
These AI avatars have been trained on over 9,000 articles written by former Islamic affairs minister and Kuala Lumpur mufti Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri.
The training material includes his published works and is built using ChatGPT.
Zulkifli has clarified that these avatars are meant to summarize his views on various religious matters.
In a post on X, he reassured the public that they are programmed to be social media-friendly, and their responses reflect his stance on religious issues.
Educational concerns
Critics question AI's role in Islamic education
Even after Zulkifli's clarification, critics are wary of the AI avatars.
They argue that these digital preachers go against Islamic principles, which emphasize learning through human interaction and community engagement.
The fear is that relying on AI for religious guidance could distort local teachings and undermine the role of qualified scholars.
Discourse debate
Public shows mixed reaction
Malaysia has strict laws to prevent "deviant teachings," and critics fear that AI could be misused to promote such teachings.
Several Malaysian users raised concerns about the risks of using generative AI for religious guidance, noting that such technology is prone to hallucinations.
They questioned whether Zulkifli was prepared for the potential spread of misleading religious content.
"How are we supposed to address the risk of these AI characters giving out false information...and people believing it?" asked one X user.
Twitter Post
Take a look at Al-Bakri's post
Dengan penuh rasa syukur, saya ingin memperkenalkan dua watak digital baharu yang kini menyertai Maktabah Al-Bakri sebagai Pegawai Pintar Syariah (PPS): AIDr. Munir dan AIDr. Munirah
— Dr. Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri (@drzul_albakri) May 29, 2025
Kedua-duanya merupakan model kecerdasan buatan (AI) yang "dilahirkan" hasil kerjasama ChatGPT… pic.twitter.com/QyGnzDI1RL