This keynote examines how emerging technologies are transforming our understanding of knowledge, consciousness, intelligence, and the very notion of what it means to be human. Bringing Islamic contemplative traditions into conversation with the philosophy of technology and contemporary debates on AI, the lecture offers a foundational framework for engaging critically and ethically with technological change. The lecture contends that viewing AI through the lens of contemplation and wisdom can illuminate new pathways for responding to current challenges and rethinking human identity, agency, and responsibility.

Muhammad U. Faruque (Ph.D. UC Berkeley) is Associate Professor of Islamic Philosophy and Environmental Studies at the University of Cincinnati. A global philosopher who has lectured widely across North America, Europe, and Asia, his books and academic articles have been translated into numerous languages and have been recognized by important funding bodies across the United States, such as the Templeton Foundation and the US Department of Education. He is the author of five books and sixty academic articles, which have appeared (or are forthcoming) in numerous peer-reviewed journals. Professor Faruque’s first book Sculpting the Self (University of Michigan Press, 2021) has won the prestigious World Book of the Year Award.

This session is part of the FREE Contemplation by Design Summit, Oct. 14-25, 2026.

The full summit schedule is posted at: https://med.stanford.edu/contemplation/summit.html.