Dongguk University introduced Ven. Hyean, a wheeled AI robot created earlier this year by its AI-Safety Robot (Googi) Innovation Research Center.
The robot was trained on Buddhist texts at Jeonggakwon Temple in Seoul.
It is designed to assist with spiritual guidance and temple tasks.
The semi-humanoid uses on-device AI and has a wheeled base and arms that mimic monastic gestures.
Its training data draws on scriptures, sermons, and lectures vetted by religious experts at Dongguk University.
Professor Lim Joong-yeon said Hyean can answer visitors’ questions, provide counseling, perform kitchen and cleaning tasks, and link to security cameras at night.
Originally written by: Diya Lal
Source: Tech In Asia
Published on: 13 March 2026
Link to original article: AI-powered robot monk debuts in South Korea
