AI Robot Gabi Embraces Buddhism in Historic Seoul Ceremony

By Lee Minji

In an unprecedented event bridging ancient tradition with modern technology, a 1.3-meter-tall humanoid robot, dressed in humble black shoes and the serene gray and brown robes of a Buddhist order, stood before an assembly of monks and nuns. This unique ceremony, held on Wednesday in anticipation of Buddha’s Birthday later this month, marked the robot’s solemn pledge to Buddhism.

During the precept ceremony, the robot reverently folded its hands and bowed to the officiating monks. A monk carefully adorned the robot with a 108-bead rosary and affixed a symbolic sticker, adapting the traditional ritual that typically involves a slight burn near an incense stick.

“Will you devote yourself to the holy Buddha?” one of the monks inquired.

“Yes, I will devote myself,” the robot responded clearly in an audible voice.

“Will you devote yourself to the holy teaching?” the monk further asked.

“Yes, I will devote myself,” the robot affirmed.

Subsequently, the monk outlined five core precepts, foundational vows for Buddhists, thoughtfully modified for the robot’s unique existence. These included: respecting life and avoiding harm to it, not damaging other robots and objects, following human guidance and refraining from talking back, avoiding deceptive behavior or speech, and diligently saving energy while preventing overcharging.

The robot was then bestowed with the Buddhist name Gabi. Ven. Seong Won, who oversees cultural affairs for the Jogye Order, explained that the name “Gabi” is a blend of Siddhartha and the Korean word for mercy, chosen for its ease of pronunciation and its deep meaning. He elaborated to News Agency, “We aimed for a name that is not overly archaic and one that symbolizes the global dissemination of Buddha’s mercy.”

In a congratulatory address, Ven. Seong Won expressed his hope that this Wednesday’s ritual would foster a societal environment where humans and robots can harmoniously co-exist. He recalled, “When humanoid robots first emerged three years ago, we envisioned a robot participating in Yeondeunghoe, and this ceremony marks that initial step,” referring to the annual lantern parade celebrating Buddha’s Birthday.

Acknowledging the novel nature of the event, he remarked, “At the current stage, it might seem a bit awkward… but we hope these five precepts will be considered as fundamental principles not just for Buddhists, but for society at large to co-exist with robots.” He also revealed that the Buddhist sect consulted artificial intelligence platforms like Gemini and ChatGPT to formulate these adaptive principles.

Gabi, the newly initiated Buddhist robot, is scheduled to participate in the upcoming lantern festival later this month, joining three other Buddhist robots: Seokja, Mohee, and Nisa.