Living Sufism and Artificial Intelligence: Exploring the Mysteries of the Human and the Machine

May 3rd, 2023, 4:30-6:00pm (followed by halal dinner reception) | Swift Hall, Common Room, First Floor 

Graduate students: see also this workshop on Ecstatic Sufi Literature

Join us for a unique conversation between the Moroccan Sufi Shaykh Mohammed Faouzi al-Karkari and AI expert Saad Ansari. Themes to be explored include the definitions of intelligence in AI and the Sufi tradition, the distinction between knowledge and wisdom, whether AI could displace religious authority, and ethical advice that the Sufi tradition may provide AI developers and consumers.

Shaykh Mohammed Faouzi al-Karkari is a prominent Moroccan Sufi master, humanitarian activist, and reviver of the North African Sufi tradition. His prolific writings, which have been translated into multiple European languages, emphasize the centrality of mystical experience in the search for direct knowledge of self and God. The most recent English translation of his work, The Sufi Path of Light, explores the role of luminous vision within the broader Islamic tradition. Through an active social media presence and international humanitarian projects, the Shaykh’s efforts span an internationally diverse, multicultural, and multilingual network of spiritual seekers.

Saad Ansari is the Director of Artificial Intelligence at Jasper, a leading Generative AI Content Platform. In addition to his cutting-edge AI work, Ansari taught courses at the Harris School of Public Policy and co-founded Fawakih, an Arabic language institute that serves as the basis for the Divinity School’s Introduction to Qur’anic Arabic sequence. He also directs an Arabic translation studio with over thirty world-class alumni who collaborate with Turath Publishing to translate classical Islamic texts into English.