VUCA World, Social Media and AI: Auguring a New Age (Part 2)

This article was written on 4^th December 2022 / 9 Jamadilawal 1444H. 

Countering VUCA

VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity) pervades our lives right now as we navigate a new post-pandemic world demands, where leaders:

• Anticipate the issues that shape conditions
• Understand the consequences of issues and actions
• Appreciate the interdependence of variables
• Prepare for alternative realities and challenges
• Interpret and address relevant opportunities

To do this, I offer a strategy to counteract: VUCA

• Volatility – Vision & Values
• Uncertainty  – Understanding
• Complexity – Connections & Clarity
• Ambiguity – Agility & Ability

Vision & Values

Increasingly, more groups of people have begun to assert their push towards the kind of world that they want to see. It is imperative for us Muslims to track trends and analyse imminent changes. But while doing so, we must be clear of our vision of success in this world and the hereafter grounded by our values. Islam comes from the word salaam, which also means peace.

By Allah, this religion (i.e. Islam) will prevail till a traveler from Sana (in Yemen) to Hadramaut will fear none but Allah, or a wolf as regards his sheep

Sahih al-Bukhari (3612)

The prevalence of Islam is marked by assurance of safety and security, not chaos, injustice or brutality. The means towards the ends must be consistent with the desired outcomes.

Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “I have left you with two matters which will never lead you astray, as long as you hold on to them: the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of his Prophet.” (al-Muwaṭṭa’: 1661)

And our visions and actions must remain steadfastly pivoted on our Values that are expounded in the Quran and As-Sunnah. That being said, there are ethical decisions that need to be incorporated into AI systems like driverless cars that may need to decide between 2 or more evasive actions when faced with a collision, weighing on priorities in not just maqasid syariah but the usul al fiqh and fiqh elements as demonstrated below:

Uncertainty – Understanding

Consider and take views from different perspectives; conduct research on our landscape or evolving needs and plan for desired outcomes.

[This is] a blessed Book which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], that they might reflect upon its verses and that those of understanding would be reminded.

Al-Quran, Surah As-Sad – 38:29

Allah does not just command us to read and observe, but to reflect and understand.

Sitting with his Companions, the Prophet ﷺ drew a square [in the sand], and then drew a line in the middle of it and let it extend outside the square, and then drew several small lines attached to that central line, and (pointing to each line) said,

This is the human being, and this square is his (inevitable) death, encircling him from all sides, and this line which is outside (the square) is his HOPE, and these small lines are the calamities and troubles (which may befall him), and if one misses him, another will befall him (i.e. overtake), and if that misses him, a third will befall him (i.e. overtake).”

Al-Bukhari, volume 8, Book 76, #426. Narrated by ‘Abdullah.

A lesson from the hadith above is that Rasulullah ﷺ used not just words but tools and graphics to help his companions to understand. Muslims should emulate the effort to use available technology and methods to help others understand Islam and its applications to life.

The volatility and speed of change also require us to adopt new tools and mechanisms to help the layperson in sensemaking and understanding. Besides the available repository of Quranic texts, translations, tafsir; hadith narrations and their status, Kitab at Turath is also now available online.

Perhaps it is high time to translate the tafsir and fiqh frameworks into Machine Learnable formats to drive our own chat.MuslimAI.com, which will not only aggregate the repository of online content but an AI engine that embodies a syariah-compliant value translation into modern life issues.

Complexity – Connections & Clarity

As complexity grows and the dangers of invisible echo chambers envelop us as social media becomes inevitable, we need to build and strengthen our network connections and develop real, meaningful engagements beyond the cyber world. The least is to develop tolerance while the ultimate is to foster brotherhood and collaborations. Tolerance comes from mutual understanding which is forged through engagements.

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا ۚ إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ

‘O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted.’

Al-Quran, Surah Al-Hujurat – 49:13

Our network connections should, as the verse above commands for the most noble and righteous, go beyond our comfort circles, across communities, ethnicities, orientations and faith, especially in our globalised and connected world today.

In our connections, it is imperative to build a culture of clarifying with one another to overcome negative assumptions (dzon), misunderstandings and fallouts.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِن جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوا أَن تُصِيبُوا قَوْمًا بِجَهَالَةٍ فَتُصْبِحُوا عَلَىٰ مَا فَعَلْتُمْ نَادِمِينَ

‘O you who have believed, if there comes to you a disobedient one with information, investigate (tabayun), lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become, over what you have done, regretful.’

Al-Quran, Surah Al-Hujurat – 49:6

Even as we manage Big Data and analytics, we can still ensure the 4Vs – volume, variety, velocity and veracity – as we rely on built-in data validation and audit trail to ensure veracity of the Data and Analysis in all our interactions, as commanded by the verse above.

Ambiguity – Agility & Ability

Agility is the ability to adapt to a constantly changing environment quickly and to grow with the changes. This ability to adapt to today’s volatile and complex environment can lead to great advantages if we manage to react to changes in an adequate manner.

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said: “The example of a believer is that of a fresh tender plant; from whatever direction the wind comes, it bends it, but when the wind becomes quiet, it becomes straight again. Similarly, a believer is afflicted with calamities (but he remains patient till Allah removes his difficulties.) And an impious wicked person is like a pine tree which keeps hard and straight till Allah cuts (breaks) it down when He wishes.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 5644)

We need a way to deal with the unknown — and fast. Agility involves being curious about, and open to, new opportunities and new ways to improve. To be able to go beyond the tried-and -tested requires us to shed our siege mentality that has engulfed Muslims since the fall of Baghdad and the successive losses of political grounds that came with the fall of the last caliphate.

For us Muslims, success is not measured by political and battlefield achievements. Instead, success should be measured by how much we matter in making the world a better place and the upliftment of humanity from khurafat – myths, superstitions and mischief.

In order to carry the heavy task of sharing and guiding towards truth and justice we need to develop contemporaneous ability or competency, quwwah (capability) and trustworthiness, as well as amanah or integrity.

إِنَّ خَيْرَ مَنِ اسْتَأْجَرْتَ الْقَوِيُّ الْأَمِينُ

Verily, the best of men for you to hire is the strong, the trustworthy.

Al-Quran, Surah Al-Qasas – 28:26

The Quwwah needed is not just the obvious strategic and technological competencies but the spiritual and mental resilience derived from deep faith and unshakeable reliance on Allah swt.

‘A strong believer is better and is more lovable to Allah than a weak believer, and there is good in everyone, (but) cherish that which gives you benefit (in the Hereafter) and seek help from Allah and do not lose heart, and if anything (in the form of trouble) comes to you, don’t say: If I had not done that, it would not have happened so and so, but say: Allah did that what He had ordained to do and your” if” opens the (gate) for the Satan.’ (Sahih Muslim 2664)

Conclusion

Islam and Muslims have much to contribute in making the world a better place despite the VUCA that is shrouding our world today.

The advent of social media and AI heralds not just threats but opportunities for us to contribute to the betterment and awareness of the society.

---

References:

Franklin Daniel and John Andrews. Megachange: The World in 2050. John Wiley & Sons 2012.

Gardner Dan. Future Babble Why Expert Predictions Are Next to Worthless and You Can Do Better. Dutton 2011.

https://www.aprilonline.org/community-based-learning-for-muslim-leadership-development/

Aruguete, Natalia and Calvo, Ernesto; Time to #Protest: Selective Exposure, Cascading Activation, and Framing in Social Media, Journal of Communication, 2018 https://doi.org/10.1093/joc/jqy007

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/islamic-ai

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the articles on The Ocean’s Ink are the authors’ own, written in their personal capacity. They may not reflect the view of The Ocean’s Ink or IMSGP as an organisation.