Page 36 - CMA Journal (Mar-Apr 2025)

Focus Section

• Define acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI. 6) Incentivizing Ethical AI Innovation: The
• Establish ethical review boards with theologians, government should support ethical AI startups
ethicists, and technologists. through:
• Require ethical impact assessments for AI • Grants for projects addressing public welfare (e.g.,
deployments in public sectors. education tech, telemedicine).
2) Institutional Mechanisms and Oversight • Awards and recognitions for AI solutions that uphold
Bodies: The Islamic Ideology Council should be Islamic ethical standards.
empowered to evaluate AI initiatives. This Council • Public-private partnerships for shariah-compliant AI
should therefore include for this purpose: R&D.
• Islamic scholars (ulama) who understand Fiqh Role of Islamic Scholars
(Islamic jurisprudence) and modern technologies.
Scholars trained in both Islamic jurisprudence and
• Ethicists and social scientists.
modern sciences must be empowered to issue ijtihad
• AI engineers and data scientists. (independent reasoning) on new AI-related issues. For
• Representatives from civil society. instance:
This Council can issue fatwas, policy guidance, and • Is it permissible for AI to render legal judgments?
practical checklists to ensure AI use aligns with • What are the boundaries of AI in simulating human
maqasid al-shariah (objectives of Islamic law). emotions or religious practices?
3) Shariah-Compliant AI in Financial and Legal
• Can robots be assigned responsibilities under Islamic
Domains: AI is increasingly being used in Pakistan’s law?
Islamic finance and legal sectors. Systems in these
sectors must: Answers to such questions must be derived through
multidisciplinary deliberation involving technology
• Be audited for shariah compliance.
experts and scholars.
• Ensure that AI-generated decisions do not
violate Islamic contract law (e.g., gharar, riba). Pakistan’s Global Role
• Use AI for equitable distribution of zakat, waqf Pakistan, with its Islamic identity and growing tech
management, and dispute resolution. ecosystem, can serve as a bridge between Western AI
ethics paradigms and Islamic ethical traditions. It can:
4) Public Awareness and Education: Most citizens
remain unaware of how AI is used in their daily lives. • Collaborate with other Muslim countries to develop
Awareness campaigns should: a unified Islamic AI Ethics Charter.
• Highlight rights under Islamic and constitutional • Lead international dialogues at the OIC, UNESCO,
frameworks. and UN on faith-based AI ethics.
• Educate the public on consent, data protection, • Contribute to the development of AI solutions
and ethical AI usage. grounded in both ethical and religious values.
• Encourage whistleblowing and ethical reporting Conclusion
of AI misuse.
The emergence of AI presents both profound
In parallel, curriculum updates in universities and opportunities and complex ethical challenges. For
madrasas should include modules on AI ethics, with Pakistan, integrating Islamic ethical principles into its AI
dedicated focus on the Islamic viewpoint. journey is not only culturally resonant but morally
5) Regulatory Measures: Pakistan's existing data imperative. By grounding AI development in Islamic
protection and cyber laws must be updated to values such as justice, accountability, dignity, and public
include AI-specific clauses, including: welfare, Pakistan can shape a path of ethical innovation
that benefits both its citizens and the wider Muslim
• Algorithmic accountability mandates.
world. Establishing frameworks, institutions, education,
• Right to explanation for AI decisions.
and public engagement rooted in these principles will
• Strict guidelines for use of facial recognition and ensure that AI serves humanity in a way that is aligned
surveillance technologies. with divine guidance and human dignity.
These should be enforced through regulatory agen- About the Author: The author is an international governance
cies like the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority consultant. He has written two pioneering books on “technology
(PTA), with oversight from Parliament and indepen- governance”. His latest book is on the ethics of AI. These books have
dent commissions. been published in London and are available at Amazon.

34 ICMA’s Chartered Management Accountant, Mar-Apr 2025