---
title: "Rising to the Challenge of AI"
date: "2026-05-02"
speaker: "Dr. Waleed Kadous"
venue: "CIK Talks · Al Falah Islamic Centre"
type: "talk"
canonical: "https://iaser.ai/talks/rising-to-the-challenge-of-ai"
video: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bG5P8gpjqs"
slides: "https://iaser.ai/talks/rising-to-the-challenge-of-ai/slides.pdf"
summary: "How do we — as an Ummah and as individuals — rise to the challenge of AI? A talk in five parts: characterising the technology, mapping its likely impacts, drawing guidance from the Prophetic response to writing and the printing press, and asking how we respond both collectively and personally."
---
# Rising to the Challenge of AI

*Tech Sovereignty, the Ummah, and the Individual*

## The key question

> How do we — as an Ummah and as individuals — rise to the challenge of AI?

## What this talk covers

This was a community talk delivered at Al Falah Islamic Centre as part of the CIK Talks series. It moves through five parts:

1. **Characterising the AI technology** — what it actually is, beneath the hype
2. **The likely impacts** — across economics, employment, education, and society
3. **Guidance from our tradition** — the Prophet ﷺ's response to writing, the slow Muslim adoption of the printing press, and other technological shifts
4. **How we respond as an Ummah** — the case for *tech sovereignty*
5. **How we respond as individuals** — practical orientation for Muslims today

The framing throughout is that AI, like the writing system whose mastery the Qur'an names as a divine gift (Sūrat al-ʿAlaq), is dual-use. The Qur'an explicitly warns: *"We test you with evil and with good as a trial."* (21:35). AI is both at the same time.

## Discussion

The talk was followed by Maghrib and an extended discussion with Dr. Nazir, including audience questions.