One of the world renowned technology companies recently used the slogan “We, Robot” during a launch event where it introduced its upcoming products to the market. The company appeared to be referencing Isaac Asimov’s I, Robot with this slogan. So, who was Isaac Asimov, and what was he conveying with his famous book?
Born in 1920 in a town near Smolensk, Russia, to a Jewish family, Asimov emigrated to the United States with his family at the age of three. He grew up in New York. Before the age of twenty, he began writing science fiction stories. Starting his writing career with science fiction, Asimov also published popular science books and poetry collections. His short science fiction story Nightfall, published in 1941, became one of the most famous science fiction stories. This story was selected in 1968 by the organization called the Science Fiction Writers of America as the best short science fiction story written up to that time. Asimov also gained great fame with his Foundation and Robot book series. The Foundation series tells the story of an organization established to prevent the collapse of a galactic empire and the ensuing chaos. In this series, Asimov brings together various disciplines such as theology, anthropology, history, mathematics, and sociology to create a complex and profound universe (Timucin, Bugra Edman, Selcuk University Faculty of Letters Journal, 2017, Issue 37, 2017, pp. 377–386.). The fictional universe/ text initiated by Asimov, with the support of other writers and the film industry, is positioned as one of the foundational texts of the postmodern era. The possibility of preventing or delaying galactic chaos is pursued through robots based on artificial intelligence. In this narrative, both sacred texts and symbols, as well as anthropological elements, are employed to the fullest extent in a postmodern style. Transitions between times and personalities, the battle between good and evil, and most importantly, preparation for a posthuman future…
The Western human’s inclination toward possession, which began with the geographical discoveries… The colonial order brought about by this inclination and the world wars waged to sustain that order… Then, the positioning of humanity by the owners of major corporations as modern slaves… All of this aimed at a conformist lifestyle and the desire to experience eternity here on earth… Employing robots to bring paradise down to earth and instrumentalizing artificial intelligence for this narrative… The idea of controlling objects or people is not new. There is a “will to power” within the human being, and when we look at our world, this desire appears insatiable. By nature, the human being desires not only immortality but also infinite power. Possessing power and using it over weaker individuals is one of the oldest behavioral patterns in human history. At the point we have reached, using robots to attain power is the posthuman era’s manifestation of this very tendency. So, in this narrative presented to humanity, and accompanied by science, what awaits us? As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to develop, it raises profound questions about the future of humanity and its place in the world. Although still a largely unexplored field, the themes outlined in sacred texts point to an intersection between AI and the eschatology of divine religions. Considering its potential risks as a new kind of “monster” that could lead humanity astray, it is necessary to reflect on the potential role of AI within an eschatological framework. Furthermore, examining the effects of AI’s development in a post-human world is essential in order to establish new perspectives on how AI might take shape and to offer a vision for future generations (Sancili, F. (2023), “Islam Kulturunde Kiyamet Mitolojisinin Temel Eskatolojik Mitleri,” (The Fundamental Eschatological Myths of Apocalypse Mythology in Islamic Culture), Ardahan University Faculty of Humanities and Letters, Belgu Journal (Special Issue), pp. 113–12; Youvan, Douglas C., AI and the Apocalypse: Exploring the Role of Artificial Intelligence in the Eschatology of the Book of Revelation, October, 2024).
In light of all these explanations, we once again ask the question posed in the title: Does artificial intelligence promise an earthly paradise? Or, as the world is clothed in the “new”, what kind of world will it become? The word jannah (paradise) is derived from the root jann, meaning “to cover, to conceal,” and refers to a “garden that covers the ground with its plants and trees”. The reason why the eternal abode of bliss for the believers in the Hereafter is called by this name is explained either by its general resemblance to earthly gardens or by the idea that its unparalleled blessings are hidden from human comprehension. As in Judaism, Christianity also holds the belief that the “Eden” paradise existed at the beginning of creation (Sahin, M. Sureyya, TDV İslam Ansiklopedisi, vol. 7, pp. 374–346.). Paradise has been a realm long yearned for throughout human history. Based on the statements found in the Qur’an and authentic hadiths, the main characteristics of the blessings of Paradise can be identified as follows: 1. Everlasting life and comfort. 2. Constant peace and tranquility. 3. The inhabitants of Paradise possessing exceptional physical, spiritual strength, and abilities. 4. Spiritual fulfillment (contentment). 5. Seeing Allah and speaking with Him. 6. All of these are encompassed by perpetuity. (Topaloglu, Bekir, TDV İslam Ansiklopedisi, vol. 7, pp. 376–386.)
Considering that in many verses Paradise promised to the righteous is mentioned in the plural form, it is understood that there are multiple abodes and that a dwelling is prepared for each believer. Regarding the interpretation of the verses that describe Paradise as being as vast as the heavens and the earth (Al i ‘Imran, 3:133; al-Hadid, 57:21), the following differing views have been put forward: 1. It is a metaphor expressing that Paradise is unimaginably vast. According to this view, ardh (earth) refers to “width”. Since the narrow side of an area is usually its width, within the framework of this comparison, the length of Paradise would be far greater. 2. Paradise is as valuable as the universe comprehensible to humankind in worldly life. 3. Just as the material world has been presented to human perception, so too has Paradise been presented to human knowledge and understanding (Topaloglu, Bekir, vol. 7, pp. 376–386.). In Islam, a believer who wishes to attain Paradise must do the following:
1. Individuals must live with a sustained sense of responsibility toward humanity, creation, and the sacred throughout their lives, and maintain this commitment until life’s end or at its final stage.
2. They must strive to live and help others live with this awareness.
3. They must be just and compassionate.
4. Rather than attempting to realize a sense of perpetuity within the inherent transience of this world, individuals should endeavor to attain timelessness through their worldly acts, entrusting everlasting existence to the Hereafter.
5. While exploring the universe and reaching for the stars, they must live with tawhid and endeavor to establish tawhid throughout the cosmos.
In contrast, in the postmodern era, the humanoid (human-like being), envisioned as part of a posthuman future paradise, aims to continue the colonial attitude of the West with the following characteristics:
1. It should position knowledge as mere data, distant from wisdom.
2. It should procure raw materials through an inclination to possess.
3. It should, if necessary, kill those who obstruct this.
4. Within the limited plane of existence, it should construct eternity on earth so as to leave no place for the unseen.
5. In smart cities, people, regarded as organisms with serial numbers, should be kept under control.
6. If Earth is insufficient for absolute fulfillment, it should turn to other galaxies.
7. Through interstellar voyages, it should, by its own hand, subjugate existence to the form it has idealized. Seeking Paradise in this world brings with it the fallacy of reducing Paradise to the worldly realm. Stripping the everlasting (Paradise) of its true nature is the greatest harm that can be done to what is everlasting. On the other hand, to eliminate the possibility of perpetuity for the limited being (the human) is to render human into nonexistence. Positioning artificial intelligence technology for individual and social well-being is, of course, a condition desired by all. Moreover, for every Muslim to be the designer and producer of these technologies and to offer a vision to all humanity on a global scale is a necessity for all hearts that believe in truth and in al-Haqq—especially in this period when war crimes are being committed, when Muslim blood is being mercilessly shed in many parts of the world, and when the genocide in Gaza is taking place. However, the future or the world envisioned from Asimov’s time to the present must not be based on pagan myths, anthropomorphic Greek mythology, or the eschatology of the Holy Book; rather, it must be in accordance with tawhid, the Qur’an, prophethood, justice, and mercy.
