On May 6, a Buddhist ceremony took place in Seoul where a humanoid robot was sworn in as a monk.

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 robot, named Gabi, is a creation of the Chinese company Unitree Robotics. During the ceremony, it was dressed in a traditional grey-and-brown Buddhist robe.

“We aimed to give it a name that is easy to pronounce and not outdated, while also symbolizing the spread of Buddha's compassion around the world,” said monk Son Won, who oversees cultural matters in the Jogye order.

“Gabi” means “compassion.”

At the Jogyesa Temple, the robot took an oath to dedicate itself to Buddhism. It folded its hands, bowed, and answered questions from the monks, affirming its readiness to serve Buddha and his teachings.

Gabi was adorned with a necklace of 108 beads, and a sticker was placed on its arm instead of the traditional burning of incense.

The robot's participation was intended as a symbolic adaptation of monastic customs for a non-human entity. Using Gemini and ChatGPT, five Buddhist precepts were rewritten for the humanoid:

  • Respect life and do not harm it;
  • Do not damage other robots or objects;
  • Obey humans and do not contradict them;
  • Refrain from deceptive speech or behavior;
  • Conserve energy and avoid overcharging.

Monk Son Won called the ceremony a first step toward coexistence between humans and machines in cultural and spiritual spaces.

At the end of May, Gabi will appear at a festival alongside other robots Sokja, Mohee, and Nissa.

Robot Development in Europe

Meanwhile, French startup Genesis AI has unveiled its first AI model, GENE-26.5, along with robotic arms.

In a demonstration video, the robotic arms perform a series of complex tasks: cracking eggs, slicing tomatoes, and preparing food. GENE-26.5 controls bots from various manufacturers.

“We always aimed to create the best model, but soon realized the importance of controlling the hardware. So we decided to go full stack,” said co-founder and CEO Zhou Xian.

The Genesis AI arm mimics the size and shape of a human arm, allowing for more data collection to train LLMs and perform a wider range of tasks.

The company has developed a special glove with sensors for data collection. It is lightweight, comfortable, and inexpensive to produce.

“We are in talks with many clients. The value of the glove is that it can be worn while performing everyday tasks in a lab or pharmaceutical setting,” said co-founder Theophile Jerve, a former researcher at Mistral AI.

The company plans to equip a wide range of workers with cameras for additional data collection. GENE-26.5 has been trained on a “huge amount of internet video featuring people.”

Genesis AI raised $105 million in funding in July 2025, just months after its founding. This financing has helped the startup expand its workforce and operations, with offices in Paris, California, and London.

In the near future, the company plans to introduce its first general-purpose robot with a body.

Robots Driving China's Growth

Robotics is an area where China has taken a leading position. According to a new study by Morgan Stanley, humanoid robots will be the driving force behind the next phase of growth in China's manufacturing and export share.

Similar to electric vehicles, which became a growth point a decade ago, investments in robotics are expected to increase the country's share of global manufacturing from 15% to 16.5% by 2030.

In recent years, robots have transitioned from laboratories to the real world: they are being implemented in tech parks, factories, and universities, aided by government procurement.

“China has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to identify promising growth areas early and plan for future development,” the bank's report states.

As with electric vehicles, China is ramping up production capabilities across the entire supply chain for humanoid robots, giving it an edge over competitors in the U.S., Japan, and South Korea.

Notably, in April, a robot from Honor ran a half marathon in 50 minutes and 26 seconds—six minutes faster than the men's world record.