In South Korea, a humanoid robot was ordained as a monk 0 12

Humanoid robots are usually seen as assistants in factories, warehouses, or offices. However, in South Korea, they decided to find a completely different role for them. The first robot monk named Gabi appeared in a temple in Seoul. The humanoid was introduced during a Buddhist ceremony at the Jogye Temple ahead of the celebration of Buddha's birthday, The New York Times reports. The robot, about 120 centimeters tall, was dressed in traditional monastic robes, participated in chants with the monks, performed bows, and even answered questions from the ceremony participants.

"Are you ready to dedicate yourself to the sacred teaching?" asked a human monk during the special ceremony in Seoul. "Yes, I am ready to dedicate myself to it," replied the robot. The spiritual mentor then spoke about the five precepts, specially adapted for the machine. "Among them are: respect life and do not harm it, do not break other robots, listen to people and do not contradict them, do not deceive by word or action, conserve energy and do not overdo it with charging," Yonhap writes about the modified vows. After this, the robot was given the Buddhist name Gabi.

The project is part of the initiative of the Jogye Order, the largest Buddhist school in South Korea, to adapt religion to the modern digital society and attract youth. The creators believe that technology and artificial intelligence will help maintain interest in Buddhism among the new generation.

The robot is built on the Chinese Unitree G1 platform and has a humanoid body that allows it to walk, gesture, and participate in rituals. During the ceremony, Gabi not only stood next to the monks but also formally took the Buddhist vows. When asked by a monk about its readiness to follow the teachings of Buddha, the robot answered affirmatively.

During the ritual, Gabi walked around the pagoda, folded its hands in a prayer gesture, and received a rosary of 108 beads, just like the other participants. The only exception was the incense ceremony – it was not conducted for the robot. The robot's name was also chosen deliberately. It combines a reference to the name of Siddhartha Gautama and the Korean word "jabi," meaning compassion and mercy. According to the monks, the name was meant to sound simple while reflecting Buddhist values.

The emergence of the robot monk is linked to the efforts of Buddhist organizations to maintain their role in society amid declining interest in religion among youth and a shortage of monks.

Gabi is expected to participate in festive parades for Buddha's birthday alongside other Buddhist-themed robots.

In our opinion, the story of the robot monk shows how religion is trying to keep up with the times. Technology is increasingly penetrating even the spiritual sphere — and perhaps such unusual projects will help attract a new generation to it.