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The Trends Research and Advisory center in Abu Dhabi has announced the launch of the AI-Enhanced Interfaith Dialogue alliance (AI4ID), a groundbreaking initiative that combines artificial intelligence with religious dialogue to counter extremism and promote tolerance. The launch coincided with the release of the 2025 International Muslim Brotherhood Influence Index during a high-level international dialogue session featuring researchers, experts, and academic institutions from around the world. The event, held at the center’s Dubai office with supervision from its virtual offices in Canada and France, brought together scientific analysis of political Islam movements with innovative approaches using artificial intelligence to enhance interfaith dialogue.
According to Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al Ali, CEO of Trends Research and Advisory, the simultaneous launch of the AI4ID alliance and the Muslim Brotherhood Influence Index reflects a firm conviction that confronting extremism begins with understanding and deconstructing narratives and influence mechanisms, not security solutions alone. The initiative represents a comprehensive approach to understanding global transformations by combining precise scientific diagnosis of political Islam group influence pathways with knowledge-based and ethical alternatives that employ artificial intelligence.
AI-Enhanced Interfaith Dialogue as a Strategic Tool
Dr. Al Ali explained that artificial intelligence has evolved from a neutral technical tool into a major actor in shaping collective consciousness and reproducing religious and political discourse. The AI4ID alliance seeks to transform technology from a polarization factor into a force for mediation and peacebuilding, based on digital ethics principles and good governance as outlined in UNESCO’s 2021 recommendations. The initiative addresses the escalating religious and ethnic tensions in the digital space by converting AI technologies from potential polarization tools into bridges for mediation and coexistence.
Meanwhile, Makssoud Kruz, the Foreign Minister’s envoy for countering extremism and terrorism, described the launch as an exceptional milestone combining technical innovation with a noble humanitarian message. He noted that the initiative, launched by Trends Research and Advisory in cooperation with several prestigious international think tanks, represents an advanced step in promoting human dialogue and mutual understanding. Additionally, it serves as a fundamental pillar in confronting extremist ideologies, particularly amid accelerating challenges that highlight the urgent need for interfaith dialogue.
International Partnerships and Interdisciplinary Approach
The alliance includes strategic partners to ensure the highest levels of scientific and technical accuracy. Key partners include Trends Research and Advisory, Mohamed bin Zayed University for Humanities, the Montreal Institute for Learning Algorithms (MILA), the University of Montreal, the Catholic University, and the Dominican Institute for Oriental Studies. These institutions will provide strategic analyses, humanistic intellectual contributions, technical model development, and theological frameworks for comparative religious studies.
The project extends over three years, beginning with analytical mapping of international experiences, followed by designing a prototype for a smart conversational chatbot or safe dialogue platform. In its final year, the project will undergo rigorous evaluation in university and religious environments to measure its success in reducing stereotypes and enhancing the quality of exchange among followers of different religions. The initiative focuses on Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, with geographical emphasis on Europe, the Mediterranean basin, and North America.
Muslim Brotherhood Influence Index Reveals Structural Decline
Dr. Patrice Brodeur presented the main findings of the 2025 Muslim Brotherhood Influence Index, which showed a decline in the group’s overall strength from 67.7% in the first edition to 47.3% in the current index. The data revealed a shift in the Brotherhood’s center of gravity from the Arab region to Western and Asian spaces. The Americas topped the regional list at 24.8%, followed by Asia at 22.5%, Africa at 20.2%, while Europe dropped to 17%, and the Arab world ranked last at 15.5% due to organizational structure disintegration and the absence of political support since 2013.
However, researcher Badriya Hilal Al Riyami from the Political Islam department at Trends emphasized that the group is experiencing structural collapse and deep organizational fragmentation. This results from media failures, escalating internal divisions, changing regional and international environments, alongside tightening legal and institutional restrictions. Dr. Wael Saleh clarified that the group has transitioned from an “organization” model to a “function” model, retaining limited capacity for network spread while facing increasing fragility in central control.
From Polarization to Peace Through Technology
Dr. Wael Saleh, director of Trends’ virtual offices in Canada and France, presented the intellectual and scientific framework for the artificial intelligence and interfaith dialogue project. He emphasized that the world is witnessing an unprecedented intersection between technological transformations and crises of meaning and identity. The project addresses a central civilizational question: how can artificial intelligence be transformed from a factor deepening polarization into an ethical, conscious tool supporting dialogue and peacebuilding?
In contrast to purely technical approaches, the project adopts an integrative methodology combining computational analysis of religious discourse, critical reading provided by humanities sciences, and conscious integration of ethical values in algorithm design. French Senator Nathalie Goulet, representing the Orne region in Normandy and member of Trends’ advisory council in France, affirmed that AI4ID represents a qualitative leap in addressing contemporary religious and intellectual issues. She stressed that the Muslim Brotherhood Influence Index constitutes a highly important research and strategic tool for decision-makers and legislative and security institutions in Europe.
The three-year initiative is expected to produce tangible results including peer-reviewed scientific publications, a practical guide for ethical use of artificial intelligence in religious contexts, and an open-source digital platform adaptable to different geographical contexts. As late 2025 witnessed qualitative shifts in American and French positions toward entities linked to the Muslim Brotherhood through escalating institutional and legislative measures, the coming months will likely reveal whether these international partnerships can successfully establish a new research field merging digital humanities with computational sciences while supporting global peace agendas.
