Hye Ahn, Korea's first Buddhist artificial intelligence (AI) robot monk developed by Dongguk University's AI Safety Robot Innovation Reserach Center led by professor Lim Joong-yeon, puts its hands together under lotus lanterns at the university's campus in Seoul, May 14. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
For Buddhists — and those curious about the tradition — this weekend marks a major moment of celebration. Temples across the country are already crowded with visitors hoping to take in the festive atmosphere ahead of Buddha’s Birthday, which falls on Sunday.
For many, however, the occasion is more introspective: a time to reflect on the past year and renew a commitment to live in accordance with the Buddha’s teachings.
This year, in the lead-up to the holiday, one unexpected topic has captured curious glances and sparked conversations in Korea — robot monks marching at last weekend’s Lotus Lantern Festival in Seoul.
Hye Ahn was one of them. Unlike the headline-grabbing Gabi, a humanoid monk built on China’s Unitree G1 robot platform and recently ordained by Korea’s Jogye Order, Hye Ahn was not built for spectacle.
