Malaysia's AI-powered Islamic preachers spark debate in tightly regulated country
30 May 2025

The introduction of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered Islamic preachers in Malaysia has sparked a debate over its impact on local Islamic teachings.

The country, where Islam is the state religion, has strict regulations for religious discourse.

Preachers are required to have official credentials and follow state-sanctioned interpretations of Islam.

However, AI avatars such as "AI-Dr Munir" and "AI-Dr Munirah" are now being used to answer questions about Islamic rulings and societal issues.

AI avatars trained on extensive Islamic literature
Training details

These AI avatars have been trained on over 9,000 articles written by former Islamic affairs minister and Kuala Lumpur mufti Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri.

The training material includes his published works and is built using ChatGPT.

Zulkifli has clarified that these avatars are meant to summarize his views on various religious matters.

In a post on X, he reassured the public that they are programmed to be social media-friendly, and their responses reflect his stance on religious issues.

Critics question AI's role in Islamic education
Educational concerns

Even after Zulkifli's clarification, critics are wary of the AI avatars.

They argue that these digital preachers go against Islamic principles, which emphasize learning through human interaction and community engagement.

The fear is that relying on AI for religious guidance could distort local teachings and undermine the role of qualified scholars.

Public shows mixed reaction
Discourse debate

Malaysia has strict laws to prevent "deviant teachings," and critics fear that AI could be misused to promote such teachings.

Several Malaysian users raised concerns about the risks of using generative AI for religious guidance, noting that such technology is prone to hallucinations.

They questioned whether Zulkifli was prepared for the potential spread of misleading religious content.

"How are we supposed to address the risk of these AI characters giving out false information...and people believing it?" asked one X user.