However, not everyone is comfortable with this idea. Experts have raised concerns about mixing faith with artificial intelligence.
Jeanne Lim has delayed releasing an AI Buddhist priest named Emi Jido. She wants to ensure the system is trained carefully with the right values.
In the past, Kyoto University created projects like BuddhaBot and Buddharoid, showing that the idea of AI in religion is not new. Still, many believe such tools must be handled with care.
One of the major efforts in this space is Magisterium AI, a chatbot trained on nearly 2,000 years of Catholic teachings, as mentioned by New York Post. It was created after many Christians began turning to tools like ChatGPT for spiritual advice.
At the same time, Pope Leo XIV has recognised the “human genius” behind artificial intelligence but warned that it could become one of the most serious challenges facing humanity. He has cautioned that AI may affect people’s thinking, behaviour, and even their spiritual growth.
These concerns are one reason why Jeanne Lim has not yet released Emi Jido, an AI designed to act as a Buddhist priest. Despite years of development, Lim believes such systems must be handled carefully. She compared the AI to a child, saying it needs proper training and strong values before being introduced to the public, the New York Post report added.
The AI has already undergone a formal ordination in 2024, led by Roshi Jundo Cohen, who continues to guide its development from Japan. He sees it as a helpful digital teacher rather than a replacement for real human interaction, describing it as “a Zen teacher in your pocket.”
Lim hopes to eventually make Emi Jido freely available, with a focus on building AI that reflects a wider range of cultures and values, not just Western perspectives.
Meanwhile, Seiji Kumagai, a Buddhist scholar, once believed that AI and religion could not work together. However, after being encouraged by a monk in 2014 to help address declining interest in Buddhism, he began exploring how technology might support faith instead of replacing it.