Recent discussions about the rise of artificial intelligence would have us believe that it is a somewhat recent phenomenon. However, AI has been in development since the 1950s. What has changed is how rapidly the technology is advancing and how deeply it is becoming embedded in our everyday lives. Whether we welcome these changes or approach them with caution, AI will inevitably affect all of us, including our children. As parents, we need to understand where this technology came from, how it is being used today, and where it may be headed so we can prepare our children to navigate a world where what they see, hear, and read may not always be what it seems.
But First… How Did We Get Here?
In 1955, John McCarthy coined the term artificial intelligence, but by this time, the idea of creating machines that could “think” was already a goal for engineers and computer scientists.1 Early experiments with AI included computers that could solve problems, learn from experience, and even play games like checkers against human opponents. By the 1960s, researchers were developing programs that could imitate human conversation. Over the decades, these technologies continued to advance as computers became more powerful and capable of learning from enormous amounts of information.
By the 2010s, AI could do much more than play games or manage a conversation. It was beginning to generate realistic images, audio, and other content. In 2018, researchers at OpenAI published a paper introducing the first generative pre-trained transformer, better known by the now-familiar acronym “GPT.” Four years later, on November 30, 2022, OpenAI launched ChatGPT to the public. Within just five days, it had reached one million users, ushering generative AI into the mainstream and transforming the way ordinary people interacted with tech.
Now, AI has crept into almost every corner of our digital lives, including our emails, search engines, word processors, and graphic design tools. As a result, much of the content we encounter online, on social media, and even in print today may be created or altered using generative AI. Many Muslim leaders and organizations have also embraced this technology to develop educational materials, promote their work, communicate with their audiences, and expand their online presence. Consequently, AI is making its way into our religious spaces and, gradually, into our spiritual lives. What does this mean for our children and for the future? Our youth are growing up in an increasingly artificial world, surrounded by images, videos, and words created by computers seemingly capable of mimicking human creativity. Unfortunately, that same technology can also be exploited to create fake content that looks eerily real.
Truth and Falsehood in the Age of AI
For Muslims, the possibility of widespread deception should give us a reason to pause and reflect. The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, warned of a time when distinguishing truth from falsehood would become exceedingly difficult. Abu Huraira reported that he said:
“Years of treachery will come to people in which the liars are believed, and the truthful are denied, the deceitful are trusted, and the trustworthy are considered traitors, and the disgraceful will deliver speeches.” (Sunan Ibn Majah 4036)
Even though we cannot be certain that the hadith was referring specifically to AI, its warning about deception is relevant in an age when technology can manufacture convincing images, videos, voices, and even statements that appear to come from real people. As Muslim parents, we must teach our children to question what they see, verify news before believing or sharing it, and value truthfulness even when falsehood is hard to detect. Allah says in the Quran:
“O believers, if an evildoer brings you any news, verify ˹it˺ so you do not harm people unknowingly, becoming regretful for what you have done.” (Quran, 49:6)
Our religion places great emphasis on preserving authentic knowledge and fact-checking information before accepting or transmitting it. Muslim scholars developed rigorous methods for preserving the Quran, collecting and authenticating hadith, and determining whether information could be traced back to reliable sources. We should approach the data we consume with a similar concern for truth and authenticity. To protect ourselves and our families from the potential deception of AI, we have to remain steadfast upon the truth, verify what we encounter, and continue seeking knowledge from trustworthy sources. We must also teach our children to do the same.
The following guidelines based on Islamic principles can help:
1. Turning Away from Falsehood
Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, reportedly said, “Know that Allah has servants who cause some falsehood to die out by ignoring it and they give life to the truth by mentioning it.” (Kitab al-Kharraj 1/23)
This advice is especially significant in the age of social media. When we encounter an AI-generated image or video that we know is fake, our first reaction might be to comment or share it because it is funny, shocking, or unbelievable. However, every like, comment, repost, or share can potentially give that content more engagement. Teach children that they do not need to engage with everything they see online. If something is deliberately misleading, offensive, or intended to deceive, sometimes the best response is to ignore it rather than help it spread.
2. Leaving What Is Doubtful
The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
“Leave what makes you doubt for what does not make you doubt. Verily, truth brings peace of mind, and falsehood sows doubt.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi 2518)
One of the challenges of AI-generated images and videos is that we may not always be able to tell whether something is real. Even adults can be fooled. Teach your children that when something looks or sounds suspicious, they do not have to immediately accept it as true or false. They can pause, investigate, ask questions, or simply leave it alone. Nowadays, it is critical to question the reality of what we see or hear on the news or social media. Exercising caution is far better than believing something simply because it looks convincing.
3. Verifying Before Sharing
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, also said:
“It is enough falsehood for someone to speak of everything he hears.” (Sahih Muslim 5)
Social media makes it possible to spread information to hundreds or even thousands of people with the click of a button. Before children share an image, video, story, or claim, encourage them to investigate where it came from. Who originally posted it? Is the source trustworthy? Is the same information being reported elsewhere? Could the image, voice, or video have been altered or generated by AI? These habits put into practice what Allah teaches us in Quran 49:6 about verifying information before acting upon it or passing it along to others.
4. Seeking Authentic Islamic Knowledge
Sadly, people are becoming more and more dependent on technology and less on books and traditional sources of knowledge. Our Islamic tradition has a rich history of gathering, preserving, translating, teaching, and housing literary works so that scholars and laypeople alike could have access to authentic knowledge. Today, children may be tempted to ask an AI chatbot whenever they have a question about Islam. However, AI is not a scholar, teacher, or authoritative source of Islam. It can provide incorrect information, misattribute quotes, invent sources, or present an answer without the context necessary to understand it properly.
Teach children to return to the Quran, authentic hadith collections, reputable Islamic resources, knowledgeable teachers, and qualified scholars when they have questions about their religion. At the very least, they should feel comfortable enough to come to you with any doubts they may have.
5. Reporting AI Misuse to a Trusted Adult
Children must be aware that AI can be misused to harm, embarrass, bully, or deceive others. Someone can manipulate a photograph, imitate another person's voice, or create a fake image or video that makes it appear that a person said or did something that never happened. As this technology becomes more accessible, children may encounter this type of content involving classmates, teachers, public figures, or even themselves. Make sure your children know that if they encounter an AI-generated image, video, recording, or message that frightens, confuses, embarrasses, or targets them or someone they know, they should tell a parent, teacher, or another trusted adult.
Despite calls to regulate its development and concerns about its negative environmental impacts, it seems that AI is here to stay. Like other technological tools, AI may provide some benefits, although whether those outweigh its potential harm is debatable. What is important for us as parents is that we guide our children when it comes to the use, overdependence, and abuse of these technologies. Keeping the lines of communication open can help us intervene when necessary while reminding our children that they have somewhere safe to turn when the digital realm becomes difficult to distinguish from reality. At the same time, remind them that there is a vast and beautiful world beyond their screens. Perhaps the best way to get away from AI is to step away from our devices and go back into nature.
- A timeline of generative AI: https://barstow.libguides.com/generative-ai/timeline
Add new comment