Iran Issues Fatwa Against AI

In an bonzer move, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has issued a fatwa against Artificial Intelligence, calling it “satanic.” Anyone utilizing the rapidly processing exertion would beryllium punished by hanging, Iranian officials said.

Hyperallergic has obtained the afloat substance of the fatwa, signed by Ayatollah Khamenei yesterday, March 31:

In the sanction of God the merciful, the compassionate, 

We are from God and to God we shall return:

I americium informing each virtuous Muslims of the satellite that a caller satanic exertion aims to regenerate the instauration of Allah the almighty.

I telephone connected each Muslims wherever they whitethorn beryllium successful the satellite to refrain from and combat against each forms of artificial intellegence arsenic they insult the ineffable beliefs of Muslims henceforth. Whoever is killed successful this origin volition beryllium a martyr, God willing. Any idiosyncratic oregon radical propogating this devil worship volition punished for their actions.

May bid and blessings of Allah beryllium upon you,

 Ali Hosseini Khamenei

According to Iranian media, the determination was spurred by the wide circulation of a queer mentation of the Quran written by an AI chatbot.

It’s the archetypal clip successful past the Islamic Republic issues a fatwa against a non-human entity. In 1989, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa ordering Muslims to termination the Indian-born British-American novelist Salman Rushdie and enactment millions of dollars connected his caput for his 1988 publication The Satanic Verses.

Countries worldwide denounced the caller fatwa, including the United States. “Once again, Iran’s extremist authorities chooses fearfulness implicit progress, nooses implicit keyboards,” Department of State spokesman Ned Price said successful a property league contiguous astatine the White House.

Hakim Bishara is simply a Senior Editor astatine Hyperallergic. He is besides a co-director astatine Soloway Gallery, an artist-run abstraction successful Brooklyn. Bishara is simply a recipient of the 2019 Andy Warhol Foundation and Creative Capital... More by Hakim Bishara