Robot Gabi is a monk in South Korea, following the holy teachings of Buddha.

A 4-foot robot, now known as Gabi, became a monk by participating in a ceremony in South Korea organized by the country’s largest Buddhist sect, the Jogye Order.

The robot wore ceremonial clothes, a grey and brown robe, black shoes, and gloves, when it pledged to commit to Buddhism.

The robot put his hands together and bowed before the monks who officiated the ceremony, receiving a 108-bead rosary and a sticker, which replaced the part of the ritual in which a person's arm is burned into an incense stick, reports Yonhap News Agency.

The robot devoted itself to the holy Buddha and its teaching, also taking the vow to live by the 5 precepts.

Those 5 precepts include respecting and not hurting life, not damaging robots and other objects, following humans and not talking back to them, not being deceptive, and saving energy and not overcharging.

After the robot was ordained, it received a Buddhist name, Gabi, meaning “mercy,” in Korean.

The idea behind the name was that it wouldn’t be too hard to pronounce, standing for “spreading Buddha’s mercy around the world,” explained Ven. Seong Won, the senior monk who is also responsible for cultural affairs at the Jogye Order.

Ven. Seong Won shared that ordaining Gabi as a monk was used as a gesture to show that humans and robots can coexist. Nevertheless, this could also have been done to prove that the religion’s modernity, as interest in it is plunging, reports The New York Times.

Gabi became a monk just before Yeondeunghoe, or the lantern festival, held on May 16th, 2026.

The robot will attend the festival alongside three other humanoids: Seokja, Mohee, and Nisa.

Gabi isn’t the first robot to become a monk. A few months ago, a robot became a “Buddharoid” in Japan.

More robots are becoming guests at important events

As Buddhist monks are trying to welcome robots into their community, humanoids no longer seem to be surprise guests at various events.

A few months ago, a robot named The Figure 3 accompanied the first lady of the United States, Melania Trump, as she met guests during an education and technology summit held at the White House.

The robot left an impression, but it’s not clear if it was a positive one, since it’s been reported that Mrs. Trump called the humanoid “evil” during a conversation with the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, Brigitte Macron.

This year’s Met Gala has also been marked by the appearance of a robot.

A guest of the designer Alexander Wang, the AgiBot robot, created by a Chinese tech company, was spotted in The Mark Hotel.

The robot made headlines not only for its posing abilities on the red carpet, but also for getting stuck in an elevator.

It seems that robots are no longer used just for manual work or automation, they can also be a part of entertainment.

Having a robot at an event comes with benefits, notes Rex Robots, a company that provides humanoid robot hire for various events.

According to the company, robots can handle various tasks, such as registering guests or guiding them around the venue.

They can also improve the attendee experience by keeping them occupied, with their appearance signaling that the event host is up to date with technological advancements.

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