The chatbot, called Buddhabot, was developed in 2021 with a Japanese translation of the Sutta Nipata.
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| This chatbot could provide opportunities for many people to receive Buddhist teachings right in Japan. (Source: Buddhist Channel) |
An artificial intelligence (AI)-based chatbot that can answer Buddhist-based questions in English has been launched in Bhutan.
This is a product developed by a research team from Kyoto University and a Japanese startup company, announced on February 3.
The chatbot, called Buddhabot, was developed in 2021 with a Japanese translation of the Sutta Nipata, considered the oldest collection of Buddhist scriptures.
In 2023, the team improved Buddhabot by using OpenAI's ChatGPT generative AI to create Buddhabot Plus, which adds interpretation and explanation to speeches. The English version of Buddhabot Plus was completed last year at the request of the Bhutanese government.
According to the team, about 100 to 200 monks in Bhutan, where the national religion is Tibetan Buddhism, will use the chatbot in a pilot phase to further improve its functionality and create user guides. The technology will be available to all monks as early as March 2027 before being considered for expansion to the general public.
In Bhutan, most people can understand English but interest in Buddhism has been waning over the generations.
At a press conference on February 3, co-developer of Buddhabot, Professor Seiji Kumagai at the Institute for the Future of Human Society at Kyoto University, said the chatbot could provide opportunities for more people to receive Buddhist teachings right in Japan, where the number of temples is expected to decrease in the future.
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