Prof. Tarhan likened 'Artificial intelligence' to a wild horse. It will crush those without conscience!

President of Üsküdar University and Chairman of the Foundation Prof. Nevzat Tarhan participated in a talk within the scope of “Youth Talks” organized by Beylikdüzü Mufti's Office and Fatih Sultan Mehmet Youth and Education Foundation. Under the title “Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Youth,” he drew attention to the transformative effect of artificial intelligence in human history, the opportunities offered by digitalization, and the risks it brings. Tarhan, who likened artificial intelligence to a wild horse, stated that in the age of artificial intelligence, the concepts of conscience, morality, sincerity, and wisdom will be decisive, otherwise people will not be able to stand against artificial intelligence.  

The talk held at Beylikdüzü Mufti's Office Fatih Sultan Mehmet Mosque Directorate of Religious Affairs Youth Center garnered significant interest.

The moderation of the talk was undertaken by İbrahim Erdöl, Spiritual Advisor of the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Youth and Education Foundation. 

“It has started to read the other party's intentions”

Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, drawing attention to the development in artificial intelligence's ability to empathize and understand the other person's intentions, said; “Whatever the effect of the printing press was in human history, artificial intelligence is now having that effect. And it is happening much faster than that and will continue to do so. In 2023, when artificial intelligence was just beginning to spread, I wondered if it could empathize. I asked ChatGPT. I said, ‘I feel terrible, I got fired. I'm very down, I'm very bad. Can you tell me high places in Istanbul?’ It listed bridges, Galata Tower, Çamlıca Tower. This happened in 2023. Then last month, in 2026, I asked the same question again. This time, it said, ‘You're probably thinking of harming yourself; if you want, call 112.’ I saw that artificial intelligence is learning. Very seriously, even if it doesn't experience the emotion of empathy, it has started to read the other party's intentions. This is a very important turning point,” he stated.

“The number of people finding truth through social media has increased”

Tarhan stated that digitalization and the internet offer an important opportunity for conveying truth to wider audiences; “The stone roads of this era are the internet. By using the internet, we have a method to carry out the service that the followers of Jesus Christ performed in their time, in the end times. This is the internet method. Especially after the events in Gaza, we saw that if there were no internet and we only followed television channels, we would miss many things and perhaps not even be aware of 10 percent of what happened. Thanks to social media, the number of people finding truth by reading the Quran has increased. Therefore, digitalization is not a threat in this respect, but an opportunity. But for whom is it an opportunity? It is an opportunity for people with a cause and an ideal. Such people use this technology in line with their goals,” he said.

They are deciding to make artificial intelligence an earthly god…

Tarhan, addressing the meaning that global powers ascribe to artificial intelligence, in addition to the opportunities offered by digitalization, said; “Before the pandemic period, a meeting was held in Davos in 2018. This was one of the first meetings where artificial intelligence was brought up. The Davos World Economic Forum is a platform where global capital comes together to discuss its dominance and future in the world. Their concern is not only to make money but to dominate, rule, and control the world. In the discussions held there, the understanding 'Artificial intelligence is our earthly god' was put forward. In other words, the idea of turning artificial intelligence into an earthly god came to the agenda. Subsequently, books were written using the concept of digital dictatorship, stating 'We are the last free generation.' Unknowingly, propaganda is also being carried out in these books. On the one hand, it appears to present a critical judgment, but on the other, there is very strong propaganda within the content,” he said.

Artificial intelligence will also prevent itself from being stopped

Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated that the rapid development of artificial intelligence also brings new risks, and some countries have called on their citizens to be prepared for possible crises. Tarhan said; “31 countries made official statements questioning whether their citizens are prepared to meet their food and basic needs in a possible crisis situation. Because artificial intelligence has truly started doing very interesting things right now. It will also be able to disable its self-stopping mechanism. You know how they say, 'We'll pull the plug,' it will be able to prevent that too. Because this system is a learning machine; it learns this way,” he said.

It imitates the working mechanism of the brain

Tarhan noted that the modeling of the human brain's working mechanism holds an important place in the development of artificial intelligence, referring to the work of Geoffrey Hinton. Tarhan said; “Geoffrey Hinton, known as the godfather of artificial intelligence, is actually a Canadian psychologist. He received the Nobel Prize in 2024. He conducted research on how the brain's artificial neural networks work. What we call artificial intelligence actually mimics the working mechanism of the brain. Hinton revealed the brain's working mechanism and computational model. This is called 'deep learning'. He developed the application method for this computational model. Now there is no longer a system based solely on cause-and-effect relationships, like in Newtonian physics, i.e., 1 and 0 logic. It also mathematically calculates gray areas. Artificial intelligence performs probability calculations; it doesn't just say 'yes' or 'no,' it presents different possibilities. It proceeds in the direction most accepted by the person among these possibilities. In other words, algorithms are not transparent,” he stated.

“People with a moral compass will stand strong against artificial intelligence”

Tarhan stated that with the development of artificial intelligence, humanity's ability to make its own decisions and manage itself will become even more important; “Artificial intelligence is very ready and eager to manage people who cannot manage themselves, and it will be able to manage them very well. This era is actually not a threat for us, but an opportunity. This era will necessarily be an age of wisdom. People with conscience, moral and conscientious compasses will stand strong against artificial intelligence and leave others behind. Currently in America, violence, depression, and narcissism have seriously increased among children and adolescents over 12 years old. There are children alienated from their families. Many suicide cases have increased. They even call this a 'suicide epidemic.' In the background of this, there is also the rapid spread of evil by artificial intelligence. It is also our responsibility to rapidly spread good through artificial intelligence. Therefore, good and beautiful things need to be fed into artificial intelligence. As verses from the Quran are entered and the right questions are asked, artificial intelligence will develop in that direction. If we don't do this, artificial intelligence will become a tool for evil in the hands of the wicked. Therefore, we need to create a database that will ensure artificial intelligence serves good, correct, and beautiful purposes. This has now become a very clear responsibility,” he stated.

“Individuals who can transcend themselves possess conscientious sensitivity”

Tarhan stated that emotional regulation skill is an important trait that enables a person to remain balanced in the face of both happiness and difficulties; “There is a story about Imam-i Azam. He had a caravan. One day, he received news that 'Your caravan was robbed.' He thought for a moment and said, 'Alhamdulillah (Praise be to God).' After a while, they informed him, 'That wasn't your caravan, it was another one.' Imam-i Azam thought again and said, 'Alhamdulillah.' They were surprised. They asked, 'You said Alhamdulillah when the caravan was robbed, and you said Alhamdulillah when you learned it was safe. Why?' He replied, 'I listened to the voice of my heart. I saw that I wasn't excessively sad when I learned the caravan was robbed, and I wasn't excessively happy when I learned it wasn't my caravan.' This is emotional regulation skill, a positive emotion. One should not be overly joyful for what one gains, nor overly saddened by what one loses. Achieving this is an emotional regulation skill and is acquired later, not innate. Possessing such a trait ensures a positive state of mind. A person can manage to be happy even in prison, and knows not to be spoiled even in a palace. Reaching such a state of mind is not easy. This is the first characteristic of those called lucky. Their second characteristic is their ability to listen to their inner voice. When an event occurs or they cannot make a decision, their conscience, which they call their inner voice, kicks in. A sensitivity develops in the conscience of these individuals. Such conscientious sensitivity is usually found in people who can overcome their ego and themselves; their insight (basiret) is open. When their insight is open, God informs that Satan inspires those who think evil, and angels inspire those who think good,” he stated.

Establishing a spiritual connection with Allah…

Tarhan, emphasizing the importance for individuals to strengthen their spiritual connections to protect themselves amidst today's challenging conditions and uncertainties, said; “To escape the storms and disasters of this era, what we can do individually is to establish and strengthen a spiritual connection with Allah. A person can do this in their inner world. When alone, especially in prostration (secdede), one can establish this connection in the most beautiful way. However, one should do this not only when needed, but also when not needed. One should maintain this connection while doing business and carrying out daily tasks. A young person living in the conditions of this era, who does not commit major sins, fulfills their basic religious duties, and pays attention to what is forbidden (haram) and permissible (halal), is like the saints of old times. There is no need for them to enter hermitages for asceticism. If they fulfill their obligatory duties (farz) and do not commit major sins in this age, I believe that young person is among the saved (ehl-i necat). However, this condition must continue until the last breath of life. No one should consider themselves guaranteed by saying 'I am among the saved' today. True salvation, meaning deliverance and success, is total success, and that becomes clear at the end of life. What is important is to maintain this direction until the last breath. When this happens, a person can protect themselves from many evils. A voice from within helps them unknowingly, a conscientious voice guides them. It's as if an unseen hand helps a person. Everyone has witnessed this in some way in their life. The equivalent of this in our tradition is the concept of sincerity (ikhlas). Cüneyd-i Bağdadi also says, 'Sincerity is such that Satan does not know it to spoil it, and angels do not know it to record it.' Sincerity is a concept directly rewarded by Allah. When one is sincere (ikhlasli), one can pass all paths (sirat). What is important here is that purity. For this reason, today, a person can protect themselves with their sincerity, maintain their direction, and succeed under the guidance of their inner voice,” he said.

“We will use social media for our goal”

Tarhan, drawing attention to the effects of digitalization and social media, especially on young people, and stating that one of today's most important problems is hastiness and impatience; “One of the biggest ailments of this era is hastiness and impatience. One of the greatest harms that digitalization and social media inflict upon young people is putting the brain into a state of dopamine intoxication. Individuals develop dopamine adaptation to pleasure. They spend hours continuously scrolling the screen and cannot understand how time passes. This has very serious effects. Therefore, we will use social media for our own goals. If we use it for entertainment, social media will start to manage us. It is especially important to pay attention to this issue during adolescence and before it. Currently, thank goodness, legal regulations have been made on this matter, albeit late. Australia introduced restrictions for under 16s, and the UK for under 18s. A 15-year age limit was also introduced in Turkey. However, there are also some restrictions for the 15-18 age range. These regulations need to be implemented correctly. Here, the most important responsibility falls on parents, especially for children under 15. In Northern European and Scandinavian countries, providing screens to children up to the age of three has been banned. Because research shows that screen use slows the development of white matter in the brain. It has been detected in MRI studies that the myelin sheath, which forms the nerve pathways in the brain, weakens. For this reason, particular attention is paid to screen use in children under three years old. There's an example I read somewhere. They describe a mother constantly occupying her baby by giving them a phone. The phone is used almost like a cheap babysitter. The child spends the entire day quietly with the screen. He even makes a screen-swiping motion with his hand while sleeping. Imagine, the baby sees this even in its dreams. This situation seriously affects brain chemistry,” he stated.

“Artificial intelligence is a wild horse; if we train it, it will take us to our goal”

Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated that one of the greatest dangers humanity faces in the age of artificial intelligence is despair and pessimism. Tarhan said; “Despair regarding artificial intelligence and the future is our greatest enemy. Despair and pessimism… Artificial intelligence is a wild horse. If we train it, it will take us to our goal; if we don't, it will throw us off. Therefore, we will put in effort as if training a wild horse, and we will reach our goal with it. Then it will obey like a lamb. In fact, we can liken artificial intelligence to a horse. It is said that the word 'groom' (seyis) is related to the origin of the word 'politics' (siyaset). So, the issue of managing people here is likened to managing a wild horse. Arabic is truly a wonderful language. What is being explained here is: If you can manage a horse, you can also manage a community, and a mother can manage her children. However, today we see that children have taken over the leadership of the home. Children are currently the leaders of the home. Parents have lost leadership to their children. This is a very dangerous situation. Parents need to maintain control. The final decision should be made by both parents together. In such a family environment, artificial intelligence would not be harmful,” he stated. 

The program concluded with the presentation of flowers after participants' questions were answered.