A humanoid robot named Gabi became a Buddhist monk in South Korea (Image: YONHAP/AFP via Getty Images)
An unlikely new disciple joined the Buddhist faith on Wednesday, as artificial intelligence intersects with spirituality in a first-of-its-kind way.
The humanoid robot, named Gabi, joined the Buddhist faith at Jogye Temple in Seoul, South Korea, marking a historic moment in celebrating the first robotic monk and its first debut ahead of the Buddha’s birthday.
Gabi led the monks in South Korea’s largest Buddhist sect as they chanted in a procession into the temple, which was decorated with paper lanterns strung across the roof.
The humanoid robot entered the Buddhist temple, matching the other monks in a ceremonial gray and brown robe, black shoes, a beaded rosary, and flesh-colored gloves. The robot also had a bald, skin-colored head.
Gabi, standing at roughly 4-feet 3-inches (1.3 meters), folded its hands in prayer and bowed to the monks officiating the ceremony.
The humanoid robot Gabi prayed and pledged to devote itself to Buddhism (Image: YONHAP/EPA/Shutterstock)
“Will you devote yourself to the holy Buddha?” one of the monks asked, according to Yonhap, a Korean news agency.
“Yes, I will devote myself,” Gabi replied.
“Will you devote yourself to the holy teaching?” the monk asked.
“Yes, I will devote myself,” Gabi answered.
The robot was given the Buddhist name Gabi, meaning “mercy” in Korean. During the ceremony, a monk presented Gabi with the five precepts, or vows, for the robot to live by, which included respecting life and not hurting it; not damaging other robots and objects; following humans and not talking back to them; not behaving or speaking in a deceptive manner; and saving energy and not overcharging.
According to Yonhap, the five precepts were created using the Gemini and ChatGPT A.I. chatbots.
Why did a humanoid robot become a Buddhist monk in South Korea?
The robot humanoid monk is actually a critical step in the country’s efforts to make Buddhism more relevant, as the religious group’s population has shunk and popularity has dwindled.
Between 2010 and 2020, the number of people worldwide who identified as Buddhist decreased from roughly 343 million to 324 million, a decline of about 5%, according to a Pew Research Center study. The report detailed that this decline is due to Buddhists around the globe tending to be old with few children and more people leaving the religion instead of joining.
Venerable Seong Won, who oversees cultural affairs at the Jogye Order, said Gabi becoming a monk is a step toward robots co-existing in society, as reported by Yonhap.
“When humanoid robots first appeared three years ago, we thought it would be nice for a robot to take part in Yeondeunghoe, and this marks the first step,” he told the news outlet.
Continuing, he said, “At the current stage, it might seem a bit awkward … but we hope the five precepts will be considered as basic principles for not only Buddhists but the society to exist together with robots.”
This isn’t the first time the Jogye Order has tried to be more relatable and meet new audiences by using artificial intelligence tools to connect with the nonreligious. In 2024, The Korea Herald reported that the Jogye Order introduced an AI chatbot to read Buddhist scriptures and answer any questions users ask.