Robot Monk?!

At Jogyesa Temple in South Korea, a humanoid robot named Gabi recently became an honorary Buddhist “monk” during a special ceremony. The robot wore traditional robes, bowed to religious leaders, and promised to follow special robot versions of Buddhist rules.

Instead of rules about human behavior, Gabi promised things like being honest with its data, avoiding harm to other robots, obeying humans, and not overcharging its battery. While parts of the ceremony were humorous, the event also raised serious questions about the future of AI and robots in society.

The temple hopes Gabi will help younger people in South Korea become more interested in Buddhism and traditional culture again. Gabi will even appear in the famous Lotus Lantern Festival parade, a tradition that has been celebrated for more than 1,300 years.

With a partner, discuss the following and then make sure that each of you submits a response in the text box.
1. Do you think robots should be involved in traditions, religion, or cultural events? Why or why not?
2. What are some positive ways AI or robots could help people and communities?
3. What rules or “robot ethics” do you think robots should follow in the future?
4. Come up with 3–5 rules that all future AI robots should follow to keep humans safe and society fair.