KYOTO  –   Kyoto University unveiled a robot monk with built-in artificial intelligence that was trained on Buddhist scriptures, hoping it will be able to aid or act on behalf of monks during certain religious services the other day. A research team at the university showcased the so-called Buddharoid at the Shoren-in temple in Kyoto Prefecture to reporters. 

At the event, it responded to questions and put its palms together.

When asked by Prof Seiji Kumagai of the research group, who also serves as a monk, for advice regarding personal relationships, the robot replied, “It will improve if you reflect on your closeness with them and maintain an inner balance.”

The Buddharoid is equipped with the “BuddhaBot-Plus,” an AI chatbot derived from OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

It answers a wide range of questions from personal matters to social issues using Buddhist scriptures, while its slow monk-like gait and movements from bowing to putting its hands together in prayer were based on a robot manufactured by a Chinese firm.

Kumagai said it could serve as a “paradigm shift” to help monks as the number of temples in Japan diminishes.