February 11, 2025
THIMPHU – Monks and nuns of the Central Monastic Body will soon have access to “BuddhaBot Plus”, an artificial intelligence (AI)-based chatbot designed to answer questions from a Buddhist perspective in English.
BuddhaBot Plus is a generative Buddhist dialogue AI, created to offer in-depth explanations of Buddhist teachings. Built on advanced deep-learning models, it generates high-quality responses by analysing data from ancient Buddhist texts
The BuddhaBot AI will provide an opportunity for nuns and monks to expand their knowledge about Buddhism, while also contributing to the flourishing of Buddha Dharma.
The initiative is a joint pilot project between the Central Monastic Body, Kyoto University, and Japan’s Teraverse Co. Ltd. The agreement for the project was signed recently in Japan.
Under the terms, the parties will work together to test and improve the English version of BuddhaBot, create usage guidelines for monastic institutions in Bhutan, and gradually roll out the chatbot.
“As a pilot project, we have identified students from institutes such as Tango Buddhist College and the Institute of Science of Mind to begin using BuddhaBot,” said Choten Dorji, Secretary of the Council for Administration and Development Affairs. “We will test it for six months, and if successful, we will expand it to other monastic institutions.”
Choten Dorji was present during the agreement signing in Japan.
The Central Monastic Body plans to collaborate with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Education and Skills Development for the wider implementation of the project.
Initially developed in 2021 by a team from Kyoto University, the first version of BuddhaBot was built using a Japanese translation of the Sutta Nipata, one of the oldest collections of the Buddha’s discourses.
Later, the team upgraded the AI using OpenAI’s ChatGPT technology to create BuddhaBot Plus, which offers deeper interpretations and explanations of Buddhist teachings.
The English version of BuddhaBot Plus was completed in 2023 following a request from the Central Monastic Body.
Professor Seiji Kumagai, a co-developer of BuddhaBot and professor at Kyoto University, said the chatbot opens up new opportunities for people to access Buddhist teachings in ways that were previously unimaginable.
Until now, BuddhaBot was available only in Japanese. Bhutan is the first country outside Japan to pilot the English version.
Some 200 monks will test the AI on a trial basis, and the full rollout is expected by 2027. If successful, the programme could be expanded to secular communities in Bhutan and beyond.
“The old version of BuddhaBot provided the text of Buddhist scriptures in their original form, but it often struggled to offer clear, detailed answers,” Professor Seiji Kumagai said. “BuddhaBot Plus solves this by generating more comprehensive responses while preserving the Buddha’s original words.”
The potential impact of BuddhaBot Plus goes beyond religious education. AI-generated interpretations of Buddhist thought could introduce new philosophical perspectives.
The platform also opens the door for broader applications, such as interfaith dialogue and the use of AI in management and economic analysis.
“By applying the algorithms of BuddhaBot to non-Buddhist texts, it is possible to create chatbots that generate management advice or simulate interfaith conversations,” Professor Seiji Kumagai said. “This could fundamentally transform how knowledge is shared across disciplines.”
As with any generative AI, BuddhaBot Plus raises concerns about data reliability, potential copyright issues, and information accuracy. However, Professor Seiji Kumagai emphasised that the chatbot draws information from original sources to ensure credibility.
“Based on ethical, legal, and social issues, the team plans to further develop interactive AI of philosophers and saints representing human history to reproduce rich traditional knowledge in the digital space,” Seiji Kumagai said.