What Islam can contribute to the global AI ethics debate
As Pope Leo XIV works to bridge the growing chasm between technology developers and religious communities, he would do well to look eastward — toward Islam's rich intellectual tradition that sees no conflict between faith and scientific innovation. And in truth, we would do well to look at ourselves. While many Western tech hubs often treat religion with suspicion, the Arab-Islamic world possesses precisely the ethical architecture needed to guide artificial intelligence toward justice, accountability, and human dignity.
From its very first revelation, Islam made the pursuit of knowledge a sacred duty. The Qur'anic command 'Iqra'— 'Read!'— enshrined learning as worship. In the House of Wisdom in Baghdad and the observatories of Samarkand, Muslim scholars fused scientific progress with moral responsibility, guided by hikmah (wisdom), 'adl (justice), and raḥmah (compassion). These were not abstract ideals but actionable virtues; la darar wa la dirar — no harm, no reciprocating harm — demands technologies that prevent bias and protect the vulnerable; shura (consultation) ensures inclusive design; and taʿaruf (mutual knowing) bridges cultures instead of dividing them.
Where Silicon Valley wrestles with AI's ethical dilemmas, Islamic jurisprudence offers clarity through the maqasid Al-Shari'ah — the preservation of life, intellect, dignity, property, religion, and lineage. These objectives align seamlessly with global technical standards while grounding them in a deeper moral and spiritual foundation. And while these principles are rooted in Islam, they resonate with the moral teachings of all Abrahamic faiths and ancient traditions of our region — values of justice, mercy, human dignity, and stewardship that have shaped Arab civilization for centuries. It is these shared values, more than any single creed, that can inspire and guide the ethical governance of AI.
Just as the first Islamic Golden Age united faith and reason to advance the arts and sciences, today's AI-powered era can usher in a Platinum Islamic Age.
Mona Hamdy
This is not a call to nostalgia but to renewal. Just as the first Islamic Golden Age united faith and reason to advance the arts and sciences, today's AI-powered era can usher in a Platinum Islamic Age — a renaissance where data, algorithms, and machine intelligence are governed by fairness, transparency, accountability, privacy, human agency, beneficence, non-maleficence, inclusivity, sustainability, and wisdom.
The architecture of the current digital world has been built largely on Western norms. The coming age does not need to inherit these defaults. With our values, language, and ethos, we can help design a future where even in a world of quantum processors and models with trillions of parameters, the human soul remains safeguarded.
This vision is already taking shape. In Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Data and AI Authority's Islamic Governance Framework for AI — enshrined in the Riyadh Charter on Artificial Intelligence in the Islamic World — sets standards for relevance, flexibility, sustainability, fairness, inclusion, human dignity, and robust oversight. It is more than national policy: It is an exportable global framework. With the Riyadh Charter as its foundation and initiatives such as Humain as its engine, the Kingdom can lead the world toward a future where innovation and integrity advance together.
Our region can once again become the global epicenter of values-driven innovation — convening technologists, policymakers, scholars, and civil society to create enforceable standards, certify ethical systems, advise governments, and train the next generation of innovators in human-centered design. Our AI centers can be the guiding compass of AI ethics, ensuring that we do not lose sight of the truest technological north — reminding the world that the human being, and all wonders of God's creation, outshine any digital work of our own hands.
The Arab world must claim its place at the heart of AI ethics — and the world cannot afford for us to stay silent. Guided by our shared moral heritage, we can shape a future not ruled by cold machines or fractured societies, but enriched by technologies that uphold dignity, protect the vulnerable, unite communities, and sustain the planet. Let us lead an era where progress is measured not only in speed or scale, but in stewardship, creativity, and the flourishing of all — where Arab minds and hands, driven by wisdom and compassion, direct technology's purpose and set the course for a world where man and machine grow together in service to humanity.
• Dr. Mona Hamdy, PhD, is a teaching fellow of applied ethics at Harvard University and founder of Anomaly.
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