Saudi Arabia has launched robots for the Holy Quran recitation and sermons at Islam's holiest site in its latest attempt to use artificial intelligence (AI).
It is possible to download the robots' services to personal smartphones or to send commands to the robots in order to access information about prayer imams, muezzins, weekly schedules, and names of clerics who deliver weekly sermons on Friday.
Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al Sudais, Chief of the General Presidency for Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, launched the advanced machines. “The launch is part of a massive-scale strategy that aims not only to launch more smart robots at the two holy mosques, but to implement the Smart Haram [Holy Mosque] Project according to the blessed [Saudi] Vision 2030,” he said, referring to the kingdom’s ambitious development scheme.
A series of robots have been installed at the Grand Mosque in recent months to provide fatwas (religious edicts), sterilise and clean the rooftop of the Holy Kaaba, visited by millions of Muslims.
