"It is important not to follow your own thoughts blindly or act hastily."
A world is coming where artificial intelligence (AI) robots give advice on human concerns. This phenomenon is emerging as the Humanoid Robot moves beyond manufacturing and services into religion, the realm of faith. Around the world, more religions are trying to introduce robots, but there are also strong voices saying robots cannot replace human individuality and dignity, which go beyond simple communication and learning.
According to religious and academic circles on the 9th, the Dongguk University AI Safety Robot Innovation Center has developed the humanoid "Venerable Hyean," which learned Buddhist doctrine and temple information through a large language model (LLM), and is working to further improve its performance.
The research team held a demonstration for worshippers at Bongeunsa in Samseong-dong, Seoul, from Jan. 27 to 28. The AI robot Venerable Hyean greeted the chief monk with palms together and explained the 108 prostrations to visitors in Korean and English.
The Jogye Order is pushing a plan to introduce the robot at the Lotus Lantern Festival on Buddha's Birthday in May. A person involved in the robot's development said, "We are trying to further develop the religious functions that care for the mind—such as mindfulness care based on Buddhist doctrine, psychological counseling, and meditation content."
The Humanoid Robot's entry into religious circles is active overseas as well. According to Euronews and other foreign media, Kumagai Seiji, a professor at the Kyoto University Institute for the Future of Human Society, recently unveiled the Humanoid Robot "Buddahroid," which learned Buddhist scriptures through AI.
This humanoid, based on the Chinese robot company Unitree, also puts its palms together and bows like a human monk as it moves among people. To those who come to the temple to share their worries, it offers advice such as, "Calm your mind and let go of your attachment to the thought itself."
In Japan, where the pace of aging and rural population decline is rapid, it is not the first time the religious community has adopted humanoids. In 2019, a monk robot named "Mindar" appeared and communicated with people at Kodaiji, a 400-year-old temple in Kyoto. Developed to make up for a shortage of monks, these robots learned large volumes of Buddhist scriptures and were designed to communicate on topics ranging from personal concerns to social issues.
The Kyoto University research team said that in the future they may assist with or replace some religious rituals traditionally performed by human monks.
In India, a robot arm sometimes performs the arati, a ritual in which candles are lit while praying to a deity at Hindu events. Some religious people expressed concern, but others said that "robots do not become corrupt," arguing that robots could worship God better than humans.
In Germany, before robots had developed to their current level, the Protestant Church unveiled the robot "BlessU-2" in 2017 to deliver preprogrammed blessings to mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.
In Korea's religious community, positions on and the pace of adopting AI and robots differ somewhat. A Jogye Order official said, "The move to introduce the Humanoid Robot at temples at home and abroad is an experiment in how traditional religion will communicate in the digital age," adding, "They can play various auxiliary roles, but practice is up to people, and many believe we must proceed cautiously so as not to undermine tradition and symbolism."
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea is preparing guidelines on AI use. The Masan Diocese will establish the nation's first AI committee and plans to hold an AI symposium by inviting experts from various fields. Public Relations Director Lim Min-gyun (Gregorio) of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea said, "AI can certainly help with religious activities such as studying doctrine," but added, "Because human dignity is one of the anthropological values upheld by the Catholic Church, we believe it cannot replace our unique faces, personalities, and individuality."