South Korea Ordains Robot Monk Ahead of Buddha’s Birthday

Even Buddhist monks aren’t harmless from automation.

South Korea’s largest Buddhist sect has ordained a robot monk, marking the archetypal ceremonial monastic initiation of a humanoid robot successful the country, according to a report by The Korea Herald.

On Wednesday, the Jogye Order introduced Gabi, a G1 humanoid developed by Unitree Robotics, astatine Jogyesa Temple. Dressed successful accepted Buddhist robes and a kasaya, the 130-centimeter robot joined quality monks successful supplication up of South Korea’s Buddha’s Birthday celebrations aboriginal this month.

During the ceremony, Gabi received a Dharma sanction done the “sugye” initiation ritual, successful which participants formally pledge devotion to the Buddha, Buddhist teachings, and the monastic community.

The bid besides adapted “yeonbi,” a purification ritual successful which novice monks traditionally person tiny incense burns connected their arms. Instead, Gabi received a lotus lantern festival sticker and a 108-bead supplication necklace.

The Jogye Order besides rewrote the Buddhist Five Precepts for a machine, including instructing Gabi to support life, debar damaging robots oregon property, respect and obey humans, debar deceptive conduct, and conserve vigor by not overcharging.

“Yes, I volition give myself,” Gabi responded.

The prime of Gabi reflects the increasing visibility of Unitree Robotics humanoids globally. Launched successful 2024 by Hangzhou, China-based Unitree Robotics, the G1 has go 1 of the astir disposable humanoid machines online implicit the past twelvemonth done viral demonstrations showing it dancing, running, fighting, and performing mill and household tasks.

The quality comes arsenic improvement and concern successful humanoid robotics surge. The humanoid marketplace is expected to scope $165.13 cardinal by 2034, according to market research steadfast Fortune Business Insights. In 2024, Tesla CEO Elon Musk predicted that humanoid robots would outnumber humans by 2040.

“One is simply a benignant of utilitarian objective, which is what Elon Musk and others are striving for,” UC Berkeley Industrial Engineering Professor Ken Goldberg antecedently told Decrypt. “A batch of the enactment that's going connected close now—why radical are investing successful these companies—is that the anticipation is that these things tin bash enactment and beryllium compatible.”

Gabi is joining a increasing fig of spiritual robots crossed Asia.

In 2017, Nissei Eco, a institution based successful Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, introduced a robot called Pepper that performed Buddhist ceremonial ceremonies.

Since 2019, Kodaiji Temple successful Kyoto has operated Mindar, a robotic mentation of the Buddhist fig Kannon Bodhisattva designed to present sermons and pull younger visitors. In February, an AI-powered robot called Buddharoid, built connected a ChatGPT-based strategy trained connected Buddhist scripture, began offering spiritual guidance astatine Shoren-in Temple successful Kyoto.

The inclination extends beyond Buddhism, with Hindu temples successful India utilizing robotic arms to execute aarti, a devotional ritual successful which lamps oregon flames are waved earlier a deity arsenic an enactment of worship.

Researchers studying robot clergy person besides recovered absorption to machine-led worship. In 2023, a survey published successful Scientific American of Mindar astatine Kodaiji Temple found that visitors who watched the robot preach were little apt to donate to the temple and rated it arsenic little credible than quality monks.

“Robots are highly capable, but they whitethorn not beryllium credible,” the researchers wrote. “Robots tin preach sermons and constitute governmental speeches, but they bash not authentically recognize the beliefs they convey.”