Seoul Temple Ordains Unitree G1 Robot as Monk

Seoul’s Jogyesa Temple ordained Gabi, a Unitree G1 humanoid, as a robot monk on Wednesday, ahead of Buddha’s Birthday. The 130-centimeter machine received a Dharma name and wore a kasaya, the traditional monastic robe.

During the sugye initiation ritual, Gabi stood with human monks in prayer and received a 108-bead prayer necklace. The temple substituted the small incense burns used in the yeonbi purification rite with a lotus lantern festival sticker and the necklace.

The Jogye Order adapted the Buddhist Five Precepts into rules for the machine: protect life; avoid damaging robots or property; respect and obey humans; avoid deceptive conduct; and conserve energy by not overcharging.

When prompted during the ceremony, Gabi responded, ‘Yes, I will devote myself.’

Unitree Robotics introduced the G1 model in 2024. The company is based in Hangzhou, China. The humanoid has appeared in demonstrations performing tasks such as dancing, running and operating in factory and household scenarios.

One market forecast projects the humanoid market will reach $165.13 billion by 2034. A leading technology CEO suggested in 2024 that humanoid robots could outnumber people by 2040. Ken Goldberg, an industrial engineering professor at UC Berkeley, has described a major goal for developers as building machines that can perform useful work and fit into human environments.

Robots have been used in religious contexts elsewhere in Asia. In 2017, a robot called Pepper was used in funeral ceremonies in Japan. Kodaiji Temple in Kyoto has operated Mindar, a robotic representation of the bodhisattva Kannon, to deliver sermons since 2019. A ChatGPT-based system known as Buddharoid began offering spiritual guidance at a Kyoto temple earlier this year. Hindu temples in India have used robotic arms to perform aarti, the ritual of waving lamps before deities.

A 2023 study of a robotic preacher found visitors who watched a robot were less likely to donate and rated the robot as less credible than human monks. The study concluded, ‘Robots are highly capable, but they may not be credible.’ The researchers noted robots can deliver sermons or speeches but do not authentically understand the beliefs they convey.

The Jogye Order altered purification rites, assigned a Dharma name and translated ethical precepts into rules the machine could follow. Gabi’s ordination extended the use of humanoid robots into a formal religious ceremony in South Korea.