HIGH in the Himalayas, in the Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan, monks are turning to an unlikely source for spiritual guidance: artificial intelligence.

An AI-powered chatbot called BuddhaBot is being used to answer questions and offer advice based on the words of the Buddha, allowing users to seek guidance anytime and anywhere.

The system was developed by a professor at Kyoto University who also serves as a temple abbot, part of an effort to merge advanced technology with religious practice and encourage people to remain engaged with Buddhism.

On a cold afternoon in late January, in Bhutan's capital of Thimphu, Choten Dorji, secretary of the Bhutanese Monastic Council for Administration and Development Affairs, sat at his computer and opened the BuddhaBot website.

Asked how to stop feeling jealous of others, the system responded within seconds.

"Ultimately, that will cause suffering. Therefore, it is important to follow the teachings of the (Buddhist scripture) Dhammapada and strive for purification of mind and the practice of compassion."

The chatbot draws on Buddhist scriptures to produce responses designed to guide users through everyday dilemmas and spiritual questions. For Dorji, the appeal lies in its clarity.

"It's logical and ideal," he said. "BuddhaBot is truthful and never lies."

BuddhaBot was developed by the research laboratory of Seiji Kumagai, 45, a professor of Buddhist studies at Kyoto University, in collaboration with the Kyoto-based AI startup Teraverse. Kumagai said the idea grew from a simple but ambitious concept: creating a system that would allow people to converse with the Buddha through technology.

The project began taking shape around 2014, when a temple acquaintance approached Kumagai with concerns about the declining state of Buddhism in Japan. Some estimates suggest that as many as 30 percent of temples in the country could disappear by 2040.

The conversations prompted Kumagai to consider how technology might help. By 2019, discussions with colleagues and collaborators had produced the idea of a conversational AI system that could provide guidance rooted in Buddhist teachings. SOURCE: Kyodo