Esra Launches Digital Humanities and AI Laboratory

The Deputy for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) at the International Foundation of Revealed Sciences (Esra) has announced the launch of a new Digital Humanities and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, which is scheduled to begin operations next week.

Vahid Ahmadi, Deputy for ICT at the Esra International Foundation, stated that numerous expert meetings and research sessions held over the past year have focused on the fields of digital humanities and artificial intelligence. He explained that these discussions ultimately led to the establishment of a specialized laboratory dedicated to advancing research and innovation in these areas.

Speaking at a press conference held during Research Week, Ahmadi emphasized the increasing significance of digital humanities in contemporary scholarship. He noted that the Esra Foundation has made this field a strategic priority, investing substantial effort over the past year in conceptual development, planning, and infrastructure preparation.

According to Ahmadi, the laboratory will focus primarily on digital humanities within the context of Islamic studies, employing advanced artificial intelligence technologies to enhance research, knowledge management, and scholarly accessibility.

Among the laboratory's first major initiatives is the development of intelligent search services based on the writings, lectures, and scholarly archives of Ayatollah Javadi Amoli. These tools are designed to provide researchers with more efficient and comprehensive access to his extensive intellectual legacy.

Ahmadi further highlighted the ongoing digital transformation of Ayatollah Javadi Amoli’s works. He explained that the next stage involves organizing and publishing these materials through a structured digital platform. The necessary groundwork has already been completed, and content is currently being uploaded and integrated into the system.

Future developments will focus on incorporating artificial intelligence to improve search capabilities, moving beyond conventional keyword-based retrieval toward context-aware and semantic search technologies. Additional projects under consideration include AI-powered summarization tools, automated knowledge extraction, and broader research and development initiatives in the field of Islamic digital humanities.

According to Ahmadi, the laboratory’s foremost objective is to provide scholars and researchers with comprehensive access to the complete archive of Ayatollah Javadi Amoli’s works. While the production of audiobooks based on his writings is also planned, this remains a secondary priority compared to the laboratory’s core research and digital accessibility initiatives.

Source: Esra Information Center