In Bhutan, monks and nuns at the Central Monastic Body are embracing modern technology to deepen their understanding of Buddhism. They will soon have access to BuddhaBot Plus, an AI-powered chatbot designed to answer questions about Buddhist teachings in English.
Developed using advanced deep learning models, BuddhaBot Plus analyzes ancient texts to provide accurate and comprehensive answers, fostering dialogue among Buddhists. This initiative is a joint pilot project between the Central Monastic Body, Kyoto University, and Japanese Teraverse.
The project aims to test and refine the English version of BuddhaBot, establish usage guidelines for monastic institutions in Bhutan, and gradually implement the chatbot. An initial group of students from Tango Buddhist College and the Institute of Science of Mind will test the system for six months. If successful, it will be expanded to other monastic institutions.
Originally developed in 2021 by Kyoto University, BuddhaBot Plus utilizes OpenAI's ChatGPT technology to offer in-depth interpretations of Buddhist teachings. Seiji Kumagai, co-developer and professor at Kyoto University, highlights the chatbot's potential to revolutionize access to Buddhist knowledge. Bhutan is the first country outside Japan to experiment with the English version.
Approximately 200 monks will participate in the initial testing phase, with a full launch planned for 2027. The developers believe AI-generated interpretations of Buddhist thought could introduce new philosophical perspectives and have broader applications in interfaith dialogue and even economic analysis.