Why Robot Monks Cannot Replace Human Faith – OpEd – Eurasia Review

Recent developments in robot monks in East Asia, including the unveiling of “Buddharoid” by Kyoto University and the first robot monk “Gabi” in South Korea, have sparked global interest and raised questions about AI’s potential role in religion.
This rediscovery of robot monks follows a decade-old trend that began with the popular, though soon forgotten, robot monk Xian’er, created by Longquan Monastery.
Unlike past attention, Buddhist communities worldwide continue to innovate with AI, using it for translating scriptures, preserving manuscripts, and making Buddhist knowledge more accessible through digital archives and online platforms.
Buddhist organizations view AI as a way to cater to younger, tech-savvy audiences and help sustain their communities, which are aging and facing renewal challenges.
However, AI cannot replace human religious teachers due to the lack of consciousness, moral awareness, and spiritual experience in machines. Buddhism emphasizes spiritual practice over mere information.
Religion is fundamentally experiential, relying on embodied practices and emotional connections that machines cannot replicate, and relies on human emotions and compassionate connections that cannot be automated.
Despite technological advancements, human faith and the experiential aspects of religion are irreplaceable by any machine, highlighting the need for both spiritual and technological advancements in the future of religion.

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