Abstract
Right decisions in everyday complex systems are becoming increasingly difficult. In this paper we provide a compelling argument for embedding time-tested ethical wisdom into the very architecture of our future technologies, offering not just a vision but a concrete methodology to achieve it. The rapid proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital platforms has generated new economic and ethical challenges, often pitting technological efficiency against human-centric values. This paper proposes a novel framework that operationalizes the Ahi Order – a medieval Turkish-Islamic guild-based ethical system – within contemporary AI governance by leveraging the Dynamic Prescriptive Economics (DPE) model developed by Khan (2024). We begin with a historical and philosophical overview of the Ahi Order, highlighting its principles of ethical brotherhood, viewing work as worship, social responsibility, and quality assurance rooted in Islamic economic ethics. These time-tested values are then integrated with Khan’s DPE approach, which uses quadrant-based analysis and Accumulated Epistemic Rationality (AER) to balance competing objectives. By mapping key tensions such as Ahi ethics vs. algorithmic efficiency and human autonomy vs. digital centralization onto a four-quadrant decision space, the framework diagnoses where modern digital systems align or stray from ethical ideals. In the ideal Quadrant 1, AI-driven innovation and Ahi-inspired ethics converge synergistically, whereas other quadrants reveal trade-offs (e.g., “technocratic optimization” in the absence of ethics, or virtuous but inefficient initiatives). We prescribe dynamic transition strategies – Substitutions, Transformations, and Offsets (STOs) – to guide systems from suboptimal states toward balance. Applications are discussed in domains including platform cooperativism, decentralized governance (e.g. blockchain and DAOs), ethical AI design, and community-driven tech ecosystems. The results demonstrate that infusing AI and digital platforms with Ahi Order principles, through the structured lens of DPE, can bridge historical wisdom with future-forward technology governance. The proposed framework offers a culturally conscious, prescriptive roadmap for aligning algorithmic innovation with enduring ethical values, ensuring that the digital economy advances human well-being, justice, and social trust alongside technical progress.
Keywords: Ahi Order, Applied Ethics, Polycentric Governance, Dynamic Prescriptive Economics, Islamic Business in Digital Platforms, Islamic Economy and Finance, AI and Technology Governance
Yazar: Tariqullah KHAN
Dosya