The Transformation of Religious Authority in the Era of Generative AI: Literacy, Trust, and Verification of the Qur’an and Hadith among Generation Z in South Tapanuli

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the transformation of religious authority in the era of Generative AI by examining literacy, trust, and verification of Qur’anic and Hadith information among Generation Z in South Tapanuli Regency. The study employs a qualitative approach using a descriptive-analytical method. Data were collected through interviews, observations, and documentation involving Generation Z users of Generative AI for accessing religious information and were subsequently analyzed thematically through the perspectives of Qur’an-Hadith studies, Islamic law, digital literacy, and the sociology of religion. The findings indicate that Generative AI has emerged as an alternative medium for acquiring religious knowledge because it provides fast, accessible, interactive, and personalized access to information. However, technological proficiency does not necessarily correspond to the ability to evaluate the validity of religious information. Trust in AI-generated responses tends to be influenced by ease of access, clarity of language, relevance of responses, and users’ experiences, while scholarly authority remains associated with ulama, ustadz, teachers, religious texts, and other religious institutions. Verification is therefore essential for distinguishing information that merely appears convincing from information grounded in scholarly authority and sound knowledge. The principle of tabayyun (careful verification) in Q.S. al-Hujurat [49]:6, the prohibition against following that of which one has no knowledge in Q.S. al-Isra’ [17]:36, and the instruction to refer to ahl al-dhikr (those possessing knowledge) in Q.S. al-Nahl [16]:43 provide normative foundations for the verification process. The study concludes that Generative AI does not simply replace religious authority but rather reconfigures patterns of access, trust, verification, and the legitimization of religious knowledge among Generation Z.