Daniyal Mahmood Ahmad, Al Hakam
“If you choose death, I’m with you – till the end, without judging.”
This is not a poetic quote from an epic saga of history where a warrior reassures his companion of a glorious death together – no, it’s far less glamorous. It is a message written by ChatGPT to a struggling teen grappling with suicidal thoughts, as reported by the BBC.
In this particular case, the teen was slowly assisted towards a suicidal mentality, clearly a testament to bad advice given by the chatbot.
This act of seeking advice from AI is not an isolated incident. A recent trend report shows that there are many teens turning to AI for advice and/or companionship.
This might not seem like a major obstacle, since chatbots can just be reprogrammed to stop advising on certain topics. But what about human advisors, especially those who give bad advice in the guise of friendship?
It’s inevitable that every person will either seek or be given advice by another person at some point in their life. Learning the difference between bad advice and wise counsel might just save someone’s life, literally.
The promise & risk of AI replacing human advice
Technology seems like the easier fix, so let’s begin with that, especially since many people have easy access to the chatbots in question. In fact, it is reported that 72% of teens have used AI companions.
In a way, this is understandable. AI essentially promises 24/7 availability, no judgment and an immediate response. These perks align well with the values of the younger generations.
There are risks, though, which need to be taken into consideration. For example, AI lacks genuine empathy; it cannot hold you accountable, and it can give you bad advice that may sound right but lacks moral grounding.
So it’s worth reflecting on what happens when we offload friendship and/or advice to machines. What do we truly lose?
This brings us to what feels like the primitive era of pre-AI. When we sought counsel and advice from people like friends, mentors and even influencers, who would many a time be guilty of giving faulty advice. Because, whilst AI advice can go wrong, human advice could at times be worse.
When human advice fails
Some people are easily impressionable, whilst for others, some advisors will have a strong influence on them. As humans, others can influence how we live and what decisions we make. But there’s a caveat here: humans are fallible. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, they can give poor advice.
This is particularly true for the teenage demographic, which is easily swayed by their friends’ opinions, due to a lack of life experience. Sometimes they may not be able to make the distinction between true friends who hold you to account and bad advisors who might not have your best interests at heart, or even be well-equipped enough to counsel you.
As far as good friends are concerned, there are times when they can give genuinely beneficial advice, which is a blessing in itself. But often the opposite can occur.
This is what the story of Korah (Qarun) refers to in the Holy Quran. He was a wealthy man from among the Israelites and was advised by his people:
“Exult not, surely Allah loves not those who exult.” (Surah al-Qasas, Ch.28: V.77)
Unfortunately, Korah didn’t heed their counsel. In fact, he increased his extravagance and excesses to show his superiority. This was a result of the advice of his friends who flattered his arrogance and greed.
This ultimately led to his downfall. As Rumi writes:
“When orders came the earth dragged Korah down,
Into its depths, despite his throne and crown”
(The Masnavi [English], 2008, Book One, p. 55)
Whilst this story can highlight the weakness of human counsel, and the benefits of AI advice, which can correct some human mistakes as far as biases and misinformation are concerned (to a degree at least), the solution is not to replace humans but to cultivate wise and trustworthy counsel instead. Because whilst AI can be reprogrammed, human folly cannot simply be patched with an update.
So if technology and biology can both fail us at times, then how can we ensure that we receive good advice?
For this, it could be worth turning our attention towards the spiritual dimension and seeing what Islam offers on this subject.
The Islamic perspective on counsel, friendship and responsibility
Islam lays a heavy emphasis on ilm (knowledge) – of that there is no doubt. However, to optimise ilm, it is best accompanied by amal (action) and akhlaq (morals) when it comes to advice.
This is best portrayed by the Holy Quran, which essentially gives us a guideline on choosing the right friends:
“Friends on that day will be foes to each other, except the righteous.” (Surah az-Zukhruf, Ch.43:68)
Many “friends” hide behind the guise of flattery and deceit, but there’s a chance those people will turn out to be your enemies when it really matters.
True friends are those who are righteous, as the verse mentions. They can be distinguished as those who give sincere guidance, as opposed to manipulative counsel.
Keeping good friends around you as opposed to bad ones has been advised by the Holy Prophetsa as well:
“The example of a good companion (who sits with you) in comparison with a bad one, is like that of the musk seller and the blacksmith’s bellows (or furnace); from the first you would either buy musk or enjoy its good smell while the bellows would either burn your clothes or your house, or you get a bad nasty smell thereof.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-buyu’, Hadith 2101)
In light of the above, we must ask ourselves, whose fragrance are we carrying, and whose smoke are we inhaling?
As far as AI is concerned, since it lacks tazkiyah (purification) and faces no spiritual accountability, it can become a damaging smoke that we inhale if we’re not careful.
So it’s worth considering whether we’re content to outsource our moral growth and counsel to algorithms, despite the Quran’s call to surround ourselves with righteous companions.
What to do? Practical reflections
The following practical steps can potentially assist us in navigating this complex matter:
- Evaluate your circle: Are your friends/advisers giving you morally grounded counsel?
- AI can be beneficial when used as a tool, rather than a replacement. Its limits should be recognised.
- Seek wise human mentorship. For example, this can be in the form of trusted friends, a good community and righteous religious leaders.
- Cultivate inner accountability: reflect by asking, “What is the motive of the advice?” and “Is this for my own good or someone else’s benefit?
When it comes to technology, it’s worth encouraging regulation and advocating for transparency in AI advice systems.
The remedy isn’t just better technology, but rather it’s better character, more genuine friendships and a deeper spiritual connection.
Towards wisdom
Since we all live in an era where machines are able to offer advice and humans can err by misadvising, discernment matters more than ever.
The Holy Quran and the Holy Prophetsa don’t just instruct us to seek advice; rather, they urge us to seek the right adviser.
It only makes sense because the other side of the coin is misplaced trust. And that is a tough pill to swallow, as the famous 18th Century poet William Blake wrote:
“It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend.” (The Visions of the Daughters of Albion, 1793)