BuddhaBot (Japanese: ブッダボット) is a chatbot trained on early Buddhist texts and designed to answers questions based on them. The project has been developed by a group lead by Seiji Kumagai and Toshikazu Furuya at Kyoto University.[1]
History
editBuddhaBot
editThe original BuddhaBot was developed by Kumanagi after challenged to do something in order to revitilize Buddhism in Japan by a monk in 2014.[2] The idea of an chatbot had formed by 2019 after conversations with colleagues.[3] BuddhaBot was unveiled on 12 March 2021. The model is based on BERT, developed by Google, and trained originally on the Sutta Nipāta, and later texts such as Udānavarga, and Dhammapada. The model is non-generative,[1] responding to questions with preselected passages.[4] While there were plans to make the model available for the public,[5] as of June 2026 it has not been.
BuddhaBot-Plus
editBuddhaBot-Plus, a more advanced model, was announced on 18 July 2023. It is a generative model based on ChatGPT that can make interpretations and explanations in natural language, again based on early Buddhist texts.[1] To reduce problems caused by hallucinations scripture passages and generated text are displayed separately.[3] Following a conference of esoteric Buddhism where BuddhaBot was exhibited in 2022, the Central Monastic Body in Bhutan showed interest in the technology,[3] leading to an English language version of the model being developed in 2023. Starting in 2025 monastics in Bhutan are testing the bot accompanied with the development of guidelines for its use in a project involving Kyoto University, Teraverse Co. Ltd., and the Central Monastic Body.[6] As of January 2026 around 450 monastics and researches of Buddhism were using the model.[7] The model is planned to be made available for the Bhutanese public in 2027.[8][1] In addition to Bhutan and Japan, according to developing group leader Kumagai, there has been interest from Buddhist communities located in Sri Lanka and Thailand.[3]
BudhhaBot-Plus is used in the Buddharoid humanoid robot monk.[9]
Response
editFormer Foreign Minister of Bhutan, Tandi Dorji is positive about the possibility educating young people about Buddhism using BuddhaBot. Some Bhutanese monastics have also had a positive response to BuddhaBot.[7]
Editor-in-chief of Chūgai Nippō, a specialist newspaper focusing on religion and culture, Akasaka (赤坂 (史人)),[10] is of the opinion that artificial intelligence can not perceive the unique circumstances of people, and thus is unable of giving quality advice and guidance like humans are.[11]
Takahiko Kameyama (亀山 隆彦), an associate professor at the Kyoto University Institute for the Future of Human Society, is of a similar opinion, writing that unlike the real Buddha, BuddhaBot lacks the ability to instantaneously grasp the skill level of its users and structure its explanations based on it, although he does think that it is an advance in the realm of Buddhist media.[12]
See also
editReferences
edit- 1 2 3 4 "Launch of BuddhaBot (Buddhist Dialogue AI) for Buddhist Communities Overseas Use: Kyoto University Collaborative project with the Central Monastic Body of the Kingdom of Bhutan" (PDF). Kyoto University. 3 February 2025. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- ↑ Fauria, Krysta; Wardanski, Jessie (11 April 2026). "From 'BuddhaBot' to $1.99 chats with AI Jesus, the faith-based tech boom is here". Associated Press. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Iwahashi, Takuro (23 March 2026). "FEATURE: Bhutan monks turn to AI chatbot for Buddhist guidance". Kyodo News. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
- ↑ Fukutomi, Satoshi (26 April 2021). "Kyoto Univ. helps develop advice-dispensing AI 'Buddhabot' offering Buddhist perspective". The Mainichi. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- ↑ Nonaka, Ryosuke (29 March 2021). "AI 'Buddhabot' unveiled in Kyoto dispenses advice to troubled souls". The Asahi Shimbun. Archived from the original on 29 March 2021. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- ↑ Namgay, Thinley (11 February 2025). "BuddhaBot: AI for Buddhism". Asia News Network. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
- 1 2 "日本製の「AIブッダ」、ブータン僧侶が活用 国民80万人に広がるか" (video). The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). 12 January 2026. p. YouTube.com. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
- ↑ "仏教対話型ＡＩ「ブッダボット」、ブータン仏教界で導入「若者たちの『師』に」…京大が開発". The Yomiuri Shimbun (in Japanese). 4 February 2025. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
- ↑ Ota, Hiroyuki (28 February 2026). "Cyber sutras: Japan research team unveils humanoid robot capable of Buddhist dialogue". The Mainichi. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- ↑ "会社案内". 中外日報 (in Japanese). Retrieved 11 June 2026.
- ↑ 赤坂, 史人 (28 January 2026). "人から人へ". 中外日報 (in Japanese). Retrieved 11 June 2026.
- ↑ 亀山, 隆彦 (12 February 2026). "《宗教とAI➁》ブッダボットで変わる仏教". 中外日報 (in Japanese). Retrieved 11 June 2026.