Asger Risom
Supporters say it is a bridge to younger audiences. Critics see an unsettling preview of “AI religion.”
In a 400-year-old temple in Kyoto, a Buddhist sermon is being delivered by a machine. The scene looks like a tech stunt at first glance, but it is prompting a deeper debate about faith, authenticity, and what people will accept as spiritual authority.
Supporters say it is a bridge to younger audiences. Critics see an unsettling preview of “AI religion.”
A temple experiment
In reporting by Matt Hussey for The Brink, the Kōdai-ji Temple has introduced Mindar, an aluminum-and-silicone android modeled after Kannon, the bodhisattva of mercy. Mindar delivers sermons in a “soothing, genderless voice,” using recorded scripts and synchronized animations built around Buddhist teachings on suffering, death, and rebirth.
Temple officials framed the project as outreach, not replacement. “We hope Mindar will help people think about the essence of Buddhism,” chief steward Tensho Goto told reporters. “We want to make it easier for everyone to access Buddhist teachings-even if it’s through a machine.”
Mixed reactions
Visitors have responded in sharply different ways, according to Hussey’s account. Some describe Mindar’s presence as calming or even mystical. Others find it uncanny, comparing the experience to a sermon delivered in the uncanny valley.
That split, he argues, raises a broader question about whether sacredness can be “programmed,” and what that would mean for ideas of spirit, soul, and authenticity.
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Research and meaning
Hussey cites a study published by Scientific Reports suggesting robot priests like Mindar can evoke genuine spiritual responses when people are primed to view them as religious figures. In that account, expectations and openness shape the experience as much as the message itself.
Mindar is not described as self-aware, and it does not learn or evolve. But the project has become a real-world test of how far people will go in accepting machines as vessels for tradition, compassion, and presence.
Sources: The Brink, Scientific Reports
