Malaysia's first AI preacher stirs debate on Islamic principles
The launch of artificial intelligence-powered Islamic preachers has raised questions in
Malaysia over the technology's potential to distort local Islamic teachings and undermine the role of qualified scholars.
Advertisement
In Malaysia, where Islam is the state religion, religious discourse is tightly regulated and preachers must obtain official credentials and strictly adhere to state-sanctioned interpretations of the faith – or risk infringing sharia court rulings of 'deviant teachings'.
But AI avatars are on the rise, including 'AI-Dr Munir' and 'AI-Dr Munirah', which are trained on more than 9,000 published articles by former Islamic affairs minister and Kuala Lumpur mufti Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri and built using ChatGPT.
The so-called Smart Sharia Officers are seen by critics as contradicting Islamic principles that emphasise learning the faith through human interaction and community.
Zulkifli said on Thursday the avatars served to summarise his thoughts and answers on Islamic questions ranging from rulings, fatwa and societal issues regarding the practice of Islam.
Advertisement
'Do not worry as they have been programmed to be social media-friendly,' Zulkifli said in his announcement on X. 'Their answers are also based on my stance in relation to religious matters.'
Public reaction, however, has been mixed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
5 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
The world must deliver justice for the Rohingya
Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@ or filling in this Google form . Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification On September 30, the UN will hold a high-level conference on the Rohingya crisis. This conference is seen as a key moment to resolve one of the world's worst humanitarian tragedies. It is expected to be convened by Ambassador Philemon Yang, president of the United Nations General Assembly. But success will depend on more than speeches; it must lead to real, lasting action. The Rohingya people, mostly Muslims, have suffered for years. About 1 million fled to Bangladesh after violent attacks in 2017. Another 600,000 remain in Myanmar, living in poverty and fear. They have been denied citizenship and basic rights. Many face food shortages, forced military recruitment and other atrocities. Their future remains uncertain. This coming conference began taking shape after the 2024 UN General Assembly. There, Bangladesh's Chief Adviser, Muhammad Yunus, called for global action. A UN resolution followed, and Bangladesh has since played a key role. Myanmar's internal situation has only worsened. Since a military coup in 2021, more than 6,000 civilians have died. According to a local monitoring group, about 22,000 people have been jailed for political reasons. A major earthquake in March this year brought no pause to the violence. Civil war continues, and the military junta refuses to step back. Amid the chaos, the Rohingya are more vulnerable than ever. To succeed, the conference must meet four urgent goals. First, it must set a clear and enforceable plan for the Rohingya to return home safely and with dignity. This means deadlines, international oversight and strong guarantees.
South China Morning Post
9 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Trump's America leaves Southeast Asia in a spin – with China waiting in the wings
Five months into Donald Trump 's presidency, Southeast Asia finds itself adrift. The foundations of its relationship with the US have been shaken by punitive tariffs and a sudden withdrawal of aid that hurt some of the region's most vulnerable – even as Washington maintains its military presence with an eye fixed squarely on China. Advertisement This volatility has deepened a sense of American 'unreliability' across Southeast Asia, according to experts who spoke to This Week in Asia. Yet a complete rupture between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the United States remains unlikely. With China looming large across the horizon, Washington's security commitments are expected to endure and continue shaping the region's diplomatic calculus. At the recent Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth laid out Washington's Indo-Pacific strategic vision, citing Beijing's relentless military drills around Taiwan and escalating naval confrontations in the South China Sea 'There's no reason to sugar-coat it,' Hegseth said. 'The threat China poses is real, and it could be imminent.' US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on May 31. Photo: Reuters Hegseth called on US allies and partners to share more of the defence burden, stressing that such cooperation would enable Washington to allocate more resources to the Indo-Pacific, describing it as 'our priority theatre'.
South China Morning Post
21 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Asean credibility at stake amid soaring Thailand-Cambodia border tensions: analysts
Asean risks a fresh blow to its already dented credibility if it fails to de-escalate tensions between Thailand and Cambodia , analysts have warned, as a deadly border skirmish and a political leak threaten to trigger broader regional fallout. Advertisement 'A full-blown border war between Thailand and Cambodia will damage Asean's credibility,' Abdul Rahman Yaacob, a research fellow at the Lowy Institute's Southeast Asia programme, told This Week in Asia. 'The regional organisation is already under fire for being perceived as not effective in dealing with the Myanmar crisis.' Since its founding in 1967, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has been credited with helping avoid conflict among its members. But that legacy now faces a critical test, observers say, amid a weeks-long stand-off following a May 28 clash that left one Cambodian soldier dead – the first fatal border flare-up since 2011. Tensions intensified after a phone call between Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and former Cambodian leader Hun Sen leaked on Wednesday, revealing informal efforts to calm the situation. In the recording, Paetongtarn referred to Hun Sen as 'uncle' and urged him to disregard a Thai military commander, saying: 'He just wants to look cool … but in truth what we want is peace.' 03:41 Thai government hangs by thread as leaked phone call shreds PM Paetongtarn's credibility Thai government hangs by thread as leaked phone call shreds PM Paetongtarn's credibility The leak triggered political backlash in Thailand, where critics accused Paetongtarn of undermining the military and appearing overly deferential to Hun Sen. The uproar led to the withdrawal of a key coalition partner and intensified scrutiny of the Shinawatra family's close personal ties with Cambodia's ruling elite. Advertisement Paetongtarn later defended the call as part of a negotiation tactic but apologised for the resulting 'public resentment'.
