هانیه ملک محمدی

Background: Background: In Iran, following the introduction of modern technologies, various social groups have responded to them, among whom “Tolab” constitute one category. Due to their religious authority within Iranian society, seminarians exert both direct and indirect influence on people’s social lives. Aims: This study aims to explore how Hawzeh members engage with artificial intelligence (AI) as a manifestation of modern technology, by examining Hawzeh media such as journals and news agencies, and to explain its relationship with modernity and technological application approaches. Methodology: 122 texts from Hawzeh media over a two-year period were selected and analyzed using thematic analysis. Ultimately, three main categories were identified: “Understanding the Nature of Artificial Intelligence among Hawzeh Members”, “The Relationship between Power and Artificial Intelligence among Hawzeh Members”, and “The Operational Attention of the Hawzeh to Artificial Intelligence”. Findings: Hawzeh media perceive AI as having a variable nature, which can be utilized depending on the intention, design, and use by its users. Conclusion: The experience of the People of the Hawzeh with AI demonstrates that the systematic form of religion can also be integrated with technology as a product of modern science, because it is not entirely anti-modern, nor is it modern and subjective in the sense of defining its existence solely as a specific mode of being.