South Korea: 'Spiritual' Robot Becomes A Monk, Expresses Dedication To Buddhism

Seoul: Can spirituality and technology ever coexist? This dream has now become a reality. A humanoid robot in South Korea has officially made its debut as a monk at Seoul's Jogyesa Temple. Ahead of the celebrations for Buddha's Birthday, this robot showcases a unique fusion of Buddhism and Artificial Intelligence (AI). According to a report by news agency Reuters, this 130-centimeter-tall robot is named 'Gabi.' It was clad in traditional brown and gray Buddhist robes and stood before senior monks during an official ordination ceremony. When a monk asked it whether it would dedicate itself to Buddhism, the robot replied, "Yes, I will dedicate myself."

A Robot Becomes a Monk?

In South Korea, a humanoid robot named Gabi joined monks in prayer at Seoul's Jogyesa Temple ahead of Buddha Purnima. This robot was created by the Chinese company 'Unitree Robotics.' During a ritual held on Wednesday, the 130-centimeter-tall robot bowed before monks and nuns, pledging its allegiance and dedication to Buddhism. When a monk asked the robot if it would remain fully devoted to the sacred Buddha, the robot responded, "Yes, I will dedicate myself." The robot spoke in a voice that was clearly audible to those present.

Another humanoid robot monk:First Japan, now South Korea.

South Korea just unveiled its first robot monk Gabi at Seoul’s Jogye Temple. The 130 cm Unitree G1 humanoid, dressed in full robes, joined real monks in prayer, completed the Buddhist ordination ceremony, and received its… https://t.co/yEARxidCC5 pic.twitter.com/bB8g99LInw

— CyberRobo (@CyberRobooo) May 6, 2026

Was a Garland of 108 Beads Placed Around the Robot's Neck?

During this process, a monk carefully placed a garland of 108 beads around Gabi's neck and also affixed a sticker to its arm. This was done as a substitute for the traditional "Yeonbi" practice. Notably, this traditional custom involved creating small marks on the skin of new monks using burning incense sticks.

The Venerable [Name], who oversees cultural affairs for the Jogye Order... Seong Won explained that the robot has been named Gabi—a name derived from the Korean term used for Siddhartha and *Daya* (compassion). He noted that the aim was to choose a name that is neither difficult to pronounce nor archaic, and which symbolizes the global dissemination of the Buddha's compassion. The sect has formulated a specific set of five rules for this robot. According to reports, AI platforms such as Gemini and ChatGPT were also utilized in the process of drafting these rules.

The established rules are as follows:

-Respect all life and cause it no harm.
- Do not cause harm to other robots or objects.
- Obey human commands and do not engage in arguments with them.
- Refrain from inappropriate conversation or behavior.
- Conserve energy and avoid overcharging.

Will Participate in Which Festival?

Seong Won stated that when humanoid robots first emerged three years ago, they envisioned how wonderful it would be if a robot could participate in the *Yeondeunghoe* (Lotus Lantern Festival); this initiative marks the first step in realizing that vision. Referring to the annual lantern parade held to celebrate the Buddha's birthday, he expressed hope that Gabi would join the lantern festival later this month, accompanied by three other Buddhist robots: Seokja, Mohi, and Nisa.