South Korea’s largest Buddhist sect on Wednesday welcomed its first humanoid robot into a traditional precept ceremony at Jogye Temple in Seoul, just weeks ahead of Buddha’s Birthday celebrations.
South Korea's first humanoid robot monk made its debut at Jogye Temple in Seoul, ahead of Buddha's birthday. Gabi, the 130-centimeter-tall robot, wore a traditional grey-and-brown Buddhist robe and stood before monks as it pledged to devote itself to Buddhism pic.twitter.com/NDzDANRkhl
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 6, 2026
The 130-centimeter robot, developed on China’s Unitree G1 platform and named Gabi, participated in the full ritual sequence for lay believers. Clad in gray-and-brown robes, it bowed, circled a pagoda, received a 108-bead rosary, and was given the Dharma name Gabi—drawn from references to Siddhartha and the Korean word for mercy, reported The Korea Times. When asked about its devotion to the Buddha, the robot stated it would devote itself, as noted in the video posted by Reuters.
The Jogye Order organized the event to engage younger generations and address monk shortages at temples. Gabi is scheduled to join lantern parades as an honorary participant.
Coverage of Parallel Robotics Advances
The Dallas Express has reported on similar rapid developments in humanoid capabilities. In April 2026, the outlet detailed how Honor’s bright-red humanoid robot “Lightning” completed the Beijing E-Town Half-Marathon in 50 minutes and 26 seconds—beating the current human world record of 57 minutes and 20 seconds.
And let’s not forget First Lady Melania Trump’s appearance alongside Figure 03, a humanoid robot developed by California-based Figure AI, during a White House children’s technology summit. The robot moved autonomously beside the First Lady while greeting attendees.
FOSTERING THE FUTURE TOGETHER
|| 45 Nations || 1 Humanoid
|| 1 Mission || Empower our Children
|| The White House || 2026 Inaugural Global Summit pic.twitter.com/5bN8ZXKiUB— First Lady Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) March 25, 2026
Additional coverage by The Dallas Express has reported on Hyundai Motor Group’s production-ready Atlas humanoid robot, unveiled at CES 2026 for industrial deployment by 2028, as well as Tesla’s heavy investments in its Optimus platform.
Broader Context and Future Outlook
Humanoid robots are moving from laboratories into cultural, athletic, and official settings. Goldman Sachs has estimated that the global market for such systems could reach $38 billion by 2035. Applications now span manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and service sectors.
Observers point to potential labor market shifts as robots handle repetitive or dangerous tasks, while new roles emerge in robot design, maintenance, and programming. Governments and companies in China, South Korea, Japan, and the United States continue to make substantial investments.
As humanoid robotics continues to advance, events like the debut of the robot monk Gabi signal the technology’s expanding role across cultural, athletic, and public spheres worldwide.
