Kecerdasan Buatan sebagai Mitra Epistemik dalam Pembelajaran Bahasa Arab dan Kitab Kuning di Dayah Aceh

Abstract

This article examines the potential role of artificial intelligence (AI) in supporting, rather than displacing, the centuries-old scholarly tradition of the dayah, Aceh's classical Islamic boarding school system. Using a qualitative literature-based approach combined with reflective analysis of contemporary digital initiatives in several dayah institutions, the study explores how AI tools such as large language models, optical character recognition for manuscript digitization, and Arabic text-processing systems can be positioned as auxiliary instruments within Arabic language learning and the sanad-based pedagogy that defines dayah education. The findings indicate that AI adoption in dayah settings tends to concentrate on three domains, namely manuscript preservation, Arabic language learning assistance for understanding classical texts (kitab kuning), and administrative modernization, while the core practice of face-to-face transmission of knowledge (talaqqi) remains largely untouched. The article argues that AI's greatest contribution lies not in replacing the teungku-santri relationship but in expanding access to primary sources and reducing logistical burdens, provided that adoption is guided by epistemic caution regarding the authority and lineage that anchor Islamic scholarship. The study concludes with recommendations for a measured, community-led integration model that safeguards the authenticity of dayah scholarship while embracing digital opportunity.