Spektrum Iran

Artificial Intelligence and Digital Hermeneutics: Data Bias, Algorithmic Ethics, and Social Implications

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Research Paper

Authors

Fatemeh Abdollahpour sangchi 1
Hossein Rahnamaei 2
Ali Asgariyazdi 3
Mehran Rezaee 4

1 PhD student in the theoretical foundations of Islam, University of Tehran

2 Assistant Professor, Faculty of Islamic Thought and Education, University of Tehran

3 Full Professor, Faculty of Islamic Thought and Education, University of Tehran

4 Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy and Islamic Theology, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar

10.22034/spektrum.2026.562967.1050
Abstract
This study examines the relationship between data bias, algorithmic ethics, and the social consequences of digital hermeneutics. With the expanding influence of artificial intelligence in interpretive domains particularly in the interpretation of religious and philosophical texts the issue of data neutrality and algorithmic objectivity has become a fundamental concern. The findings of this research, using an analytical–explanatory approach, demonstrate that training data, contrary to common assumptions, are not neutral; rather, they embody cultural values and presuppositions that are reproduced within algorithmic processes. Such reproduction can lead to semantic simplification, the elimination of interpretive diversity, and even distortion of the content of sacred texts.

Drawing upon a hermeneutical perspective, the present article highlights the necessity of distinguishing between “human pre-understanding” and “machine data,” showing that the absence of awareness, critical reflexivity, and lived experience in algorithms prevents the attainment of authentic understanding. Moreover, the study indicates that the social implications of this situation extend beyond textual interpretation, posing threats to privacy, exacerbating social inequalities, and weakening cultural diversity. Ultimately, the article emphasizes that digital hermeneutics can be constructive only when, alongside the technical capacities of artificial intelligence, ethical principles, religious oversight, and the preservation of interpretive traditions are upheld.

Introduction

The emergence of artificial intelligence and machine-learning algorithms has opened new horizons within the humanities and the interpretation of texts horizons that simultaneously entail fundamental opportunities and profound threats. Digital hermeneutics, as an interdisciplinary approach situated at the intersection of information ethics, the philosophy of understanding, and modern technologies, raises a critical question: how is the position of the human being, as the interpretive agent, to be redefined in the age of algorithms? Although large language models possess remarkable capacities for organizing data and generating text, the questions concerning the validity, objectivity, and ethical soundness of their outputs remain unresolved.

Keywords

Artificial Intelligence
data bias
algorithmic ethics
digital hermeneutics
computational justice
social implications of technology

Subjects

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