Android Kannon the Priest

Apparently, a new, and somewhat unorthodox priest has hit the scene in the 400 year old temple of Kodaiji in Kyoto, Japan. The priest is named 'Kannon' after the beloved Buddhist deity of mercy, and is tasked with the uphill battle of attracting a younger audience to Buddhism.

This continues a long tradition of Buddhist evangelizing through art. “Buddhism spread phenomenally around the world with the emergence of Buddhist images”, Tensho Goto, a priest at the temple, told Asahi Newspaper. “We are hoping that the Android Kannon will help Buddhist teachings reach the hearts of people today". Nowadays, it seems Buddhist priests feel that to reach people through a deluge of tech, one must fight fire with fire. If the plan is successful, younger people seeking peace will be drawn to the temple to hear teachings from the Android. If the plan is less than successful, the temple still has one more really cool priest than they had before. 

I feel that this use of tech and religion shows a refreshingly positive view of animated inanimate objects. Western culture overall seems to hold a negative opinion of uncanny valley residents; they are 'creepy' and even 'demonic'. Many horror movies paint them as demonic, and the thought of viewing such a being as holy seems odd. In this case, however, it is almost as if Kannon is better than us due to its lack of a living body. It does not eat, drink, or have sex, it only exists for its teachings. In many ways, it is living the reality that many buddhist practitioners seek, and in many ways, its lack of a body frees it from the rudimentary and mundane aspects of life. 

What is your opinion of the use of AI in religion? Are the Kodaiji priests fighting a losing battle, or do you see the merit in using AI holy objects and teachers?

Video of Kannon's First Teachings in Kodaiji

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/02/25/buddhist-robot-priest-dole-advice-kyoto-temple/
https://designyoutrust.com/2019/02/buddhist-robot-is-now-delivering-religious-teachings-at-a-400-year-old-temple-in-kioto/

-Madeline