Urban Muslim Professionals' Acceptance of AI-Generated Fatwas: A Socio-Technical Analysis in Indonesia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62730/syaikhuna.v17i2.7883Keywords:
Artificial Intelligence, AI-Generated Fatwas, Algorithmic Authority, Urban Sociology, Mixed-Methods, IndonesiaAbstract
This study investigates the social acceptance of AI-generated fatwas among urban Muslim professionals in Indonesia and examines associated cultural implications for Islamic jurisprudence. Employing an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, the research combines quantitative data from 450 urban Muslim professionals analyzed via PLS-SEM with qualitative insights from 25 semi-structured interviews. The structural model accounts for 58.4% of the variance in social acceptance (R² = 0.584). Perceived algorithmic credibility has a strong direct positive effect on acceptance (β = 0.465, p < 0.001), but trust in traditional institutions significantly suppresses it (β = -0.218, p < 0.001). Multi-group analysis reveals sharp domain-based divergence: automated verdicts are resisted in ritualistic matters (ibadah), yet highly accepted in financial and social affairs (muamalah) (Δβ = 0.331, p < 0.01). Qualitatively, urban professionals leverage AI for 'frictionless religiosity' and 'epistemological arbitrage' to bypass traditional gatekeepers, raising concerns regarding the flattening of localized customary laws ('urf) and the severing of human transmission lineages (isnad). The study conceptualizes a paradigm shift toward 'Algorithmic Authority' while emphasizing that institutional trust remains a powerful countervailing force. Findings point to an urgent socio-technical synthesis in which ulema councils and technology developers collaborate on ethical AI frameworks that preserve human oversight and contextual empathy.
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