Dr. Mohammed Al-Ali: Transforming technology from a source of polarization into a force for peacebuilding Maqsoud Kruse: AI4ID represents a convergence of technological innovation and a noble humanitarian mission

TRENDS Research & Advisory has announced the launch of the Artificial Intelligence for Interfaith Dialogue (AI4ID) alliance, alongside the release of the Muslim Brotherhood International Power Index (MBIPI) 2025, the first global index of its kind to measure the group’s weight and its ideological and organizational influence in various geographical regions. The announcement was made during a high-level international dialogue session featuring a distinguished group of researchers, experts, and representatives of global academic institutions, both in person and remotely.

The launch of the alliance and the index took place in TRENDS’ Dubai office, under the supervision of its virtual offices in Canada and France, and came within an integrated intellectual context that reflects TRENDS’ comprehensive approach to understanding the transformations of the global landscape. The event combined a diagnosis of the paths of influence of political Islamist groups with the presentation of cognitive and ethical alternatives that employ artificial intelligence (AI) to promote dialogue and tolerance and to confront polarization and extremism.

Dismantling Extremism to Building Alternatives

In the opening remarks, Dr. Mohammed Al-Ali, CEO of TRENDS Research & Advisory, stressed that combining the launch of the AI4ID initiative with the Muslim Brotherhood Influence Index for 2025 is not a formal synchronization, but rather reflects a firm conviction that confronting extremism begins with understanding and dismantling the narratives and mechanisms of influence, not with security solutions alone.

Dr. Al-Ali explained that AI is no longer a neutral technological tool. Still, it has become a major player in shaping collective consciousness and reproducing religious and political discourse, stressing that the AI4ID initiative seeks to transform technology from a polarizing factor into a mediating and peace-building force, based on the principles of digital ethics and good governance, as stipulated in the UNESCO recommendations for 2021.

A Humanitarian Milestone in Countering Extremism and Building Peace

H.E. Maqsoud Kruse, Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Countering Extremism and Terrorism, described the launch of the AI4ID alliance as an exceptional milestone that brings together cutting-edge technological innovation and a noble humanitarian mission.

He noted that the initiative, launched by TRENDS Research & Advisory in partnership with a number of leading international think tanks, represents a significant step forward in strengthening human dialogue and mutual understanding, and serves as a fundamental pillar in confronting extremist ideologies, particularly amid rapidly evolving challenges that make interfaith dialogue more urgent than ever.

Kruse explained that the initiative constitutes a proactive move to counter the misuse of AI in both the real and virtual worlds, complementing ongoing efforts to promote a culture of tolerance, support moderate discourse, and reinforce human fraternity.

He expressed his gratitude and appreciation to TRENDS and its CEO, commending the Center’s research efforts and its role in building bridges of communication and embedding the values of tolerance as an effective approach to combating extremism and terrorism.

He emphasized that dialogue and tolerance are the true antithesis of extremism and hatred, and that harnessing AI to advance interfaith dialogue represents a strategic step toward protecting societies and fostering peace.

He further underscored that the UAE continues its steadfast commitment to promoting a culture of tolerance and dialogue, and to supporting initiatives that employ AI responsibly in service of humanity, coexistence, and peace, at a time when the world is in growing need of these values.

European Interest

Senator Nathalie Goulet, Member of the French Senate and Advisory Board Member at TRENDS, delivered a speech affirming that AI4ID represents a qualitative leap in addressing contemporary religious and intellectual issues by combining technological innovation with ethical responsibility and opening new horizons for confronting hate speech and polarization in the digital space.

She stressed the importance of launching the Muslim Brotherhood Influence Index for 2025, considering it to be an essential research and strategic tool for decision-makers and legislative and security institutions in Europe, as it provides an in-depth analysis of the transformations of the group’s ideological and organizational influence, and patterns of its spread in democratic environments and open societies.

She added that the index supports the formulation of more balanced and effective public policies, based on analysis and knowledge rather than impressions or generalizations, which enhances the protection of pluralism and the democratic space from ideological exploitation.

Interdisciplinary Academic Debates

The launch events and the accompanying dialogue session were attended by H.E. Maqsoud Kruse, Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Countering Extremism and Terrorism; Senator Nathalie Goulet, Member of the French Senate and Advisory Board Member at TRENDS; Patrice Brodeur, Associate Professor at the University of Montreal in Canada; Alessandro Ferrari, Professor at the University of Insubria in Italy; Antonio Angelucci, Professor at the Faculty of Theology in Lugano, Switzerland and Italy; Emmanuel Pisani, Director of the Dominican Institute for Oriental Studies in Egypt and France; and Dr. Wael Saleh, Director of TRENDS offices in Canada and France. Also participating in the launches and the dialogue were Michel Younès, Dean of the Faculty of Theology at the Catholic University of Lyon in France; Flavia Cortelezzi, Professor of Political Economy at the University of Insubria; as well as TRENDS researchers Badriya Hilal Al Reyami and Shamsa Aref Al Qubaisi.

The alliance, titled “Artificial Intelligence and Interfaith Dialogue: The Humanities and Technologies in the Service of Peace,” brings together a distinguished group of strategic partners to ensure the highest standards of scientific and technical rigor. Among its key partners are TRENDS Research & Advisory and the Mohammed Bin Zayed University for Humanities, which will provide strategic analysis and human-centered intellectual contributions; the Montreal Institute for Learning Algorithms (MILA), responsible for developing the technical models; in addition to the University of Montreal, the Catholic University of Lyon, and the Dominican Institute for Oriental Studies, which will contribute the theological framework and comparative religious studies.

The project aims to address escalating religious and ethnic tensions in the digital sphere and transform artificial intelligence technologies from tools that could contribute to polarization into bridges for mediation and coexistence.

This project, led by TRENDS Research & Advisory and the University of Quebec in Montreal, responds to the challenges posed by social media, where platforms such as YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), and Facebook have become fertile ground for the spread of stereotypes and polarizing narratives.

The project aims to study the impact of generative artificial intelligence on the religious discourses of three major traditions: Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, with a geographical focus on Europe, the Mediterranean basin, and North America.

Humanization of Algorithms

In the dialogue session titled ” Artificial Intelligence and Interfaith Dialogue: Toward the Integration of Technological and Human Sciences”, speakers noted that the added value of this project lies in its pursuit of humanizing AI. The work will not be limited to purely technical aspects, but will also extend to instilling ethical and human values in intelligent systems that underpin interfaith dialogue. The project leaders explained that the goal is to develop algorithms sensitive to cultural and religious contexts, capable of detecting hate speech and replacing it with inclusive narratives that promote tolerance.

A Three-Year Roadmap

The project spans three years. It begins with an analytical mapping of international experiences, followed by the design of a prototype for a secure, intelligent chatbot or dialogue platform. In its final year, the project will undergo rigorous evaluation in academic and religious settings to assess its success in reducing stereotypes and enhancing the quality of interfaith dialogue.

Prospects and Sustainable Impact

The project is expected to yield tangible results, including peer-reviewed scholarly publications and a practical guide to the ethical use of artificial intelligence in religious contexts. In addition, it provides an “open source” digital platform that is adaptable to different geographical contexts. The partner institutions are also laying the foundation for a new field of research that combines digital humanities and computer science. which improves their position in shaping international peace agendas

championed by organizations such as UNESCO and the United Nations, offering innovative solutions to maintain social cohesion in the digital age.

Dr. Wael Saleh, Director of TRENDS’ virtual offices in Canada and France, reviewed the framework of the AI and Interfaith Dialogue project, emphasizing that the world is witnessing an unprecedented intersection between technological transformations and crises of meaning and identity, and that religious discourse in the digital sphere has sometimes become a tool for polarization and symbolic conflict.

He explained that the project stems from a pivotal civilizational question: How can artificial intelligence be transformed from a factor that deepens polarization into a conscious, ethical tool that supports dialogue and peacebuilding?

He explained that the project adopts an integrated approach that combines computational analysis of religious discourse, critical reading as provided by the humanities, and the conscious integration of ethical values in the design of algorithms, with strict ethical supervision that ensures that the technology remains a conscious human extension, and not a replacement for humans, which improves their position in shaping international peace agendas.

Declining Influence and Shifting Center of Gravity

In the research section, Dr. Patrice Brodeur reviewed the main findings of the Muslim Brotherhood Influence Index 2025, which showed a decline in the group’s overall power from 67.7 percent in the first edition to 47.3 percent in the current index.

The data revealed a shift in the Muslim Brotherhood’s center of gravity from the Arab region to the Western and Asian spheres. The Americas topped the list with 24.8 percent, followed by Asia at 22.5 percent, then Africa at 20.2 percent, while Europe declined to 17 percent, and the Arab region came in last at 15.5 percent. This shift is attributed to the disintegration of organizational structures and the absence of a political base since 2013.

Structural Disintegration and Functional Transformation

TRENDS researchers Badriya Hilal Al Reyami, confirmed that the Brotherhood is experiencing a profound structural and organizational breakdown due to its media failures, escalating internal divisions, a changing regional and international environment, and intensified legal and institutional pressure.

Dr. Wael Saleh explained that the Brotherhood has transitioned from an “organizational” to a “functional” model, retaining limited capacity for network expansion while experiencing increasing fragility in central control. This ensures its symbolic survival, without a real ability to lead or return as an influential political force.

Foreseeing the Coming Period

The research symposium, held under the title From Quantitative Decline to Geographical Shift: An Analytical Reading of the 2025 Index, concluded that late 2025 witnessed a qualitative shift in the American and French positions toward entities associated with the Muslim Brotherhood, through escalating institutional and legislative measures, that would reduce the group’s international influence and recalibrate its financial and organizational activities.

The participants emphasized that combining accurate analytical knowledge with technology-supported dialogue initiatives represents the most effective path to counter extremism and build sustainable peace in an era of rapid digital transformations.