AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Speaking at the meeting on the Strategic Thinkers’ Board on Progress in Artificial Intelligence held on Thursday, January 2, 2025, at the AhlulBayt (a.s.) News Agency – ABNA – Dr. Kamal Akbari, expressed gratitude for the profound and special attention of Ayatollah Arafi to the emerging field of Artificial Intelligence. He described the initiation of seminary activities in this domain as highly valuable and praiseworthy.
Dr. Akbari stated, “In recent years, the seminary has not been passive regarding AI. Fortunately, it has made a good entry into this field and is addressing various aspects of this phenomenon.”
The Dean of the Faculty of Religion and Media emphasized, “With precise planning and continuous effort, significant achievements in this field can be realized.”
Dr. Akbari, stressing the need for active and intelligent engagement with the phenomenon of AI, pointed to one of its major challenges, i.e. the threat of human labor being replaced by machines, stating, “By training efficient and capable experts in this field, this threat can be turned into an unparalleled opportunity for the country’s development and progress.”
“We must adopt an active approach toward modern phenomena and utilize their capacities while also paying attention to the challenges and harms associated with them,” he added.
According to the Dean of the Faculty of Religion and Media, artificial intelligence is a powerful tool in media warfare, with imperialist media using it to manipulate audience perceptions and direct public opinion.
Noting that the impact of this technology on audience cognition, behavior, and decision-making is profound, Akbari stated, “Addressing this challenge requires awareness, technological development, and an exploration of the ethical dimensions of the issue.”
“The school of Shia and Islam possesses unparalleled intellectual, cognitive, and insightful capacities that can harness emerging technologies for its service. We must skillfully employ these tools to advance the AhlulBayt (a.s.) teachings,” he added.
The Dean of the Faculty of Religion and Media said, “While AI can be a beneficial tool for us, it also carries potential threats. We are facing an enemy in the form of media imperialism that has integrated this tool into its framework. However, it has also created numerous opportunities for us that must be utilized effectively by well-trained human resources.”
Dr. Mohammadreza Qasemi, Secretary of the Directing Committee for Smart Technologies in the Islamic Seminaries, also presented a report on the committee’s activities during the meeting and called for media collaboration to narrate progress in the field of artificial intelligence.
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