AI AND THE DISCOURSE OF QUR'ANIC INTERPRETATION: AN ANALYSIS OF QURAN-GPT RESPONSE TO GENDER VERSES FROM THE SEMIOTICS PERSPECTIVE OF ROLAND BARTHES

Abstract

The rapid development of technology has made the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based language models a new trend in answering all matters, especially those related to religion, including the interpretation of the Qur'an. This AI-based Qur'anic interpretation model can specifically be found in the Quran-GPT which offers a new way of accessing and understanding the Qur'anic text. This research explores how artificial intelligence, namely Quran-GPT developed by 9x Technology LLC, responds to gender-related Qur'anic verses that are still a sensitive issue today by using the application of Roland Barthes' semiotic theory, so that it will reveal the denotation, connotation, and mythical meanings of the meaning of gender verses that are classified as controversial. The purpose of this study is to analyze Quran-GPT's response to the understanding of gender verses in the Qur'an by using the application of Roland Barthes semiotics, then looking at the moral message and social context of gender verses interpreted by Quran-GPT, from here it will be seen whether the interpretation reflects gender bias, gender justice, or a neutral approach. The method used in this research is descriptive-analytic. The results show that there is a certain pattern in the interpretation of gender verses by Quran-GPT, where when explaining gender verses about the creation of men and women in QS. an-Nisā’ (4): 1 tends to contain gender bias, because Quran-GPT narrates that women are created from male parts. Meanwhile, regarding men as responsible for women in QS. an-Nisā’ (4): 34 and the permissibility of polygamy with strict conditions in QS. an-Nisā’ (4): 3, Quran-GPT shows a gender-equitable interpretation. By using Roland Barthes semiotics, the moral message is found that although Adam and Hawa were created from different species, both of them have bred men and women in this world, this also indicates that Allah has created humans with various kinds of offspring, tribes, nations, besides that Allah also allows a man to marry a woman he likes according to his limitations, but this permission must be under strict conditions and Allah gives men leadership status over women in the family as caretakers, responsible for, and protectors in the family. The interpretation of gender verses by Quran-GPT provides a broad and contextually relevant interpretive perspective, while demonstrating how AI technology can be used to support fairness and inclusivity in the interpretation of religious texts related to gender issues. However, the main challenge is to assess the accuracy and depth of the interpretation provided by AI, as although it is considered to prioritize context, the translation in Quran-GPT, especially related to gender verses, has significant shortcomings in terms of linguistics, depth of analysis, historical context, and sometimes even still accommodates quite conservative interpretations that contain gender bias. In addition, although Quran-GPT is used as a tool in understanding gender verses, it cannot replace the books of interpretation by scholars, therefore reading the translation of the Qur'an in Quran-GPT must be done with caution while still adhering to the teachings of Islam.

Keywords: Artificial intelligence (AI), Qur'an GPT, Tafsir al-Qur'an, Gender