Islamic Ethics in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Exploring Human Values, Digital Responsibility, and Contemporary Challenges

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly developing both as a technology and a transformation of social, economic and institutional practices, and, at the same time, it poses many ethical issues of human dignity, privacy, accountability, algorithmic bias and proper utilization of digital technologies. Even though there has been an increase in international ethics guidelines over the last few years, they are mostly influenced by secular normative perspectives and the ethical aspect of religious traditions has been little studied and little explored, particularly Islam (Jobin et al., 2020; UNESCO, 2021). This paper discusses how Islamic values fit into the governance of AI in today's world, specifically the interplay between human values, digital responsibility and new technological challenges. This study uses a qualitative research design that includes a thematic analysis of classical Islamic literature including the Qur'an and the Sunnah, along with the interdisciplinary literature on the ethics of AI for the past seven years (2020-2026). This analysis highlights four related themes: the importance of human dignity (karāmah) in the development of AI; the role of justice (ʿadl), trustworthiness (amānah), and accountability (masʾūliyyah) as normative principles for algorithmic decision-making; the application of Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah to issues of digital privacy, misinformation, and surveillance; and the need for interdisciplinary discourse among Islamic scholars, AI researchers, AI policy-makers, and AI technology developers. These findings show that Islamic ethics is a holistic and humanistic perspective that is parallel to the modern ethic of AI, including the concepts of innovation, moral accountability, social justice, and public good (maṣlaḥah). This study adds to the debate on culturally inclusive AI governance and provides valuable practical lessons in creating ethically responsible AI in pluralistic and diverse societies.