Meet Ven. Hyean, Korea’s AI-powered robot monk

Ven. Hyean, a robot that uses artificial intelligence (AI), presses its hands together in greeting at Jeonggakwon, a Buddhist temple on Dongguk University's campus in Jung District, Seoul, Friday. Korea Times photo by Park Si-mon

Korean Buddhism is turning to advanced robotics to provide emotional healing and manage daily temple operations with the debut of Korea's first artificial intelligence (AI) "monk."

When asked to define compassion during a recent demonstration, the AI robot replied, "To feel the pain of all sentient beings as one's own. That is the boundless, unconditional compassion spoken of in Buddhism." Blinking the "eyes" on its screen, the machine slowly put its mechanical palms together in a traditional Buddhist gesture and murmured, "Achieve Buddhahood."

Named Ven.Hyean, meaning "the eye of truth," the robot was created early this year by the AI-Safety Robot (Googi) Innovation Research Center at Dongguk University.

The semi-humanoid machine features a wheeled base for mobility and arms programmed to mimic the slow, neat gestures of a monastic practitioner. While its exterior resembles standard patrol robots found in government offices and airports, Hyean's internal system is trained on a vast database of Buddhist scriptures, sermons and lectures.

Religious experts at the Dongguk University verified the data to ensure theological accuracy.

"It is a robot optimized for the special space of a temple and the grammar of ascetic practice," Lim Joong-yeon, the professor in the Department of Mechanical, Robotics and Energy Engineering at Dongguk University who led the project, told the Hankook Ilbo during an interview at the university's campus in central Seoul in early March.

Hyean utilizes on-device AI, allowing it to process data locally without an internet connection. This ensures the robot can operate without interruption even in remote mountain temples where communication signals are unstable.

Future temple duties

Hyean can work as a guide, answering questions and providing counseling to temple visitors.

The robot will soon expand its public presence. It is scheduled to audit Dongguk University's mandatory course on Zen meditation and will appear at Buddha's Birthday events in May.

Dongguk University professor Lim Joong-yeon and Ven. Hyean press their hands in a traditional Buddhist greeting at Dongguk University in Jung District, Seoul, March 6. Korea Times photo by Park Si-mon

Beyond spiritual guidance, the robot will also handle physical chores. Lim said during the day, Hyean will act as a kitchen worker and assist with cleaning temple halls. At night, it will link with security cameras to serve as a night watchman.

"Through the AI monk, we expect the younger generation to find Buddhism more engaging," Lim said.

Lim insists the ultimate goal is not technical perfection, but emotional healing. When asked if a machine can truly learn Buddhist theology and reach Nirvana, he argued that AI can become the "warmest tool" for humanity.

"Engineering-wise, it is superior technology to answer a human's question even 0.1 seconds faster," the professor said. "However, in the realm of religion, 'generative silence' — nodding and silently listening — is a greater comfort than a hundred words. Through the Venerable Hyean, I want to show how humans and robots form a religious bond."

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.