Exploring the Perception and Impact of Interaction With AI on the Understanding of Hindu Concepts for Religious Education Students

This research specifically aims to explore students' experiences and perceptions of the massive use of artificial intelligence (AI) as prospective Hindu teachers in the future. The existence of AI is a practical learning tool for students, but massive dependence is feared to lead to a decline in critical thinking skills, which is contrary to the traditional Hindu learning concept. So it is important to understand how students interact with AI, and how their perception of the existence of Hindu scriptures compares to AI. Qualitative research with a phenomenological approach is the type of research used, with qualitative surveys and in-depth interviews as the data collection techniques, while student perceptions and experiences are the data that are analyzed. The results of the analysis show that most students heavily use AI, but still prioritize the role of the Holy Scriptures, lecturers, and religious leaders as validators of AI answers. The existence of the Holy Scriptures still has an important position with sacred vibrations in religious learning, compared to the results generated by AI. This indicates that AI is still used as a tool, not a knowledge center, in religious learning, in shaping oneself as a future Hindu teacher. The results of this study are expected to provide recommendations for ethical arrangements for prospective religious teachers in integrating AI ethically, and are expected to be a reference for relevant research in the future.