Hojat-ol-Islam Ebrahim Ebrahimi, head of Iran’s Center for Coordination of Quranic Research and Higher Education and Humanities, made the remarks at a Saturday meeting of the Working Group on New Technologies and Artificial Intelligence under the Commission for the Development of Quranic Research and Higher Education.

Ebrahimi described the initiative as a “national and cross-sectoral mission,” saying the use of AI in Quranic affairs should not be viewed simply as a research or technology project.

He said the mission, assigned by the Council for the Development of Quranic Culture, requires the active participation of government bodies, universities, research centers and Quranic institutions across the country.

In recent years, AI has largely been regarded as a supporting tool for education and research, Ebrahimi said. But he called for a change in perspective.

“Today, we must raise our outlook and consider artificial intelligence as one of the drivers of transformation in the field of Quranic studies and activities,” he said.

He urged the research, education, international affairs and Quranic humanities working groups to engage with the technology and help develop ways to properly use its capabilities.

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At the same time, Ebrahimi drew a clear line between technological assistance and the process of understanding revealed texts.

“We do not intend to entrust the understanding of the Holy Quran to artificial intelligence,” he said. “Understanding the Quran is based on knowledge, jurisprudence, interpretation and scholarly understanding, and artificial intelligence cannot replace interpreters, Quranic researchers and thinkers in this field.”

The aim, he explained, is instead to use AI as a powerful tool to support a deeper understanding of the Quran, expand Quranic research, facilitate access to scholarly resources and improve the quality of Quranic education.

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Translation by Mohammad Ali Haqshenas