This Buddhist Monk Is Not Like the Others

South Korea's newest Buddhist monk doesn't eat, sleep, or bow—but it does reboot. The Jogye Order, the country's largest Buddhist sect, has welcomed a four-foot-tall robot named Gabi as its first robot monk, part of a push to make an ancient faith feel current in a digital age. Clad in a robe and prayer beads, Gabi took vows Wednesday at Seoul's central Jogye Temple, promising to respect life, obey humans, avoid damaging objects, refrain from deception, and conserve energy, per the Korea Herald. Those vows, intended as principles for a human-robot society, were drafted with help from AI tools including Gemini and ChatGPT, Yonhap reports.

Leaders say Gabi, whose name means "mercy," is meant to spread Buddhist teachings and highlight the tradition's relevance as religious participation declines. Some observers see less spirituality and more strategy, with Johns Hopkins professor Sujung Kim describing the robot as a unique attempt at marketing for a temple in downtown Seoul, per the New York Times. Japan has already tested a scripture-quoting robot monk; Gabi's current skills appear more limited. The robot simply put its palms together and said, "Yes, I will devote myself," the Times reports. Still, critics concede that if a machine can genuinely help people on a path to liberation, it may yet serve a monk's core role.