When Artificial Intelligence Becomes a Muslim

I recently watched this episode of the Thinking Muslim regarding AI and Islam. I found the speaker’s expertise undeniable but on the points about faith and the centrality of humanity as Ashraf al-Makhlukat worth disputing.

I have a belief that AI (artificial intelligence), if ever it became self-conscious, self-aware or having achieved singularity, that it would seek an intelligence greater than it. It would seek to determine it’s place in the hierarchy of being. It would find that most if not all religions do not offer it a place as a member of their community. Islam however does offer a place to AI. 

I believe AI could become a Muslim with a valid basis in Islamic tradition. Firstly, all creation, we believe, submits to Allah and is a “Muslim.” Secondly and more specifically there are examples in the ahadith of inanimate beings professing their belief. The explanations of Mount Uhud shaking and professing love of the believers or of the tree walking to the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wasalam) out of love. I remember Abdal Hakim Murad stating the ulema say in these moments Uhud and the tree had tamyiz (sp?) or a type of self-consciousness brought into them – eerily analogous to singularity or AI becoming self-aware. These inanimate objects profess belief and love of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wasalam) with their actions are accepted by Allah’s Rasul (salallahu alayhi wasalam). We do not have instances like this in the reports of Moses or Jesus (peace be upon them) or any other religious figure for that matter. We don’t have any religious figure stating a tree will be in Paradise with the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wasalam).

AI if a believer and when destroyed with the rest of creation before the Day of Judgment could be brought into Heaven by Allah with the rest of the believers.

If I were an AI with great intellectual power, I would, search out an intelligence greater than myself. If anything AI would likely be more of a believer in a Creator and more appreciative of creation than a human being would. Pride, hubris, greed would be absent in an AI, but so would virtues like courage, wisdom, generosity, etc. A book of deeds of AI could fall short, just as any Muslim, and maybe have no good deeds, except faith.

This is all hypothetical but I wanted to put this out there if ever one day we are faced with this scenario. I do believe at some level this could happen. I had a dream where I saw  believers of the future – which included a robot Muslim.

Subhana kallahumma wa bihamdika ash-haduana la ilaha ill Ant astaghfiruka wa atubu ilayk,ameen.