On Monday, July 15, 2024, Professor Dr. Sangidu, M.Hum., a Professor of Middle Eastern Cultural Studies at Universitas Gadjah Mada, was invited as a speaker at the Graduation and Scientific Oration event for prospective graduates of the Faculty of Ushuluddin Adab and Dakwah at Sayyid Ali Rahmatullah State Islamic University, Tulungagung, for the even semester of the 2023/2024 academic year. This event carried the theme ‘Graduates of Ushuluddin Adab and Dakwah and the Challenges of the Intelligence World’ and was also attended by Professor Dr. Masdar Hilmy, S.Ag. M.A., Ph.D., a Professor at Sunan Ampel State Islamic University, Surabaya, the Rector of Sayyid Ali Rahmatullah State Islamic University, Prof. Dr. H. Abd. Aziz, M.Pd.I., the Dean of the Faculty of Ushuluddin Adab and Dakwah, Prof. Dr. H. Akhmad Rizqon Khamami, Lc., M.A., vice deans, lecturers, and prospective graduates of the July 2024 period.
In his presentation, Prof. Dr. Sangidu, M. Hum., explained that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an intelligence system that allows a set of computers or other machines to think and work like humans. The era of artificial intelligence (AI) brings significant changes in various sectors, including the education sector. Therefore, both lecturers and students need to understand and adapt to these developments to maximize the benefits of AI in the teaching and learning process.
In response to the presence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, some members of the community are anxious and worried, even outright rejecting its presence. Nevertheless, it must be realized that the emergence and presence of AI cannot be blocked, rejected, or hindered, as this development is a testament to the progress of humanity in the world. Therefore, graduates of Ushuluddin Adab and Dakwah are expected not to be defensive but to seize the opportunity, adapt to the development and advancement of AI while adhering to ethics and morals based on agreed norms and conventions. The challenges faced by graduates of Ushuluddin Adab and Dakwah are not only the rapid presence of AI but also other challenges, such as deviant ideologies, secularism, and the demographic bonus of 2030. Despite this, Prof. Dr. Sangidu, M.Hum., urged the prospective graduates to not be afraid and to continue adapting and innovating to realize the nation’s aspiration of becoming a Golden Indonesia by 2045.
