AI Threat and Digital Disruption: Examining Indonesian Ulema in the Context of Digital Culture

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has transformed the perspectives and needs of the Islamic community in relation to the presence and roles of religious figures, particularly ulema or Islamic scholars. Concurrently, the acknowledgment of religious figures and their roles has emerged as a crucial axis for the Islamic community to anchor their religious needs and address pertinent issues. This study adopts a qualitative descriptive approach, incorporating online observations and evaluations of both formal and informal policies. It objectively delineates how the roles of scholars have evolved in response to the intricate challenges faced by the community due to AI. The emergence of Artificial Intelligence has enabled individual autonomy and liberty, establishing digital cultural terrors as an unavoidable reality. AI has repositioned users (the community) from passive followers within religious society to active participants engaging with AI to tackle various pressing religious concerns. Furthermore, this research discerns that the digital culture, encompassing both followers (the community) and religious figures, has depersonalized individuals in their autonomous and liberated thought processes. The Islamic community and religious figures must not dismiss the AI threat as a form of digital cultural terror that has seamlessly become ingrained in their lives. Consequently, they must demonstrate the ability to embrace an open and critical stance in their interactions with AI.