対話型ＡＩ
Conversational AI
2026-06-11
It seems that the development of conversational AI has become a major topic of discussion in society.
When one actually poses somewhat specialized questions to it, the responses it provides are often remarkably accurate and impressive.
Incidentally, “ChatGPT,” developed by OpenAI, is affectionately nicknamed “Chappy” by some users, and it appears to be recognized, particularly among younger people, as a reliable tool with which they can converse as if speaking to a friend.
In this regard, it is interesting to watch music videos and other content posted on platforms such as YouTube, where people can be seen engaging in lively, casual voice conversations with it, almost as though they were talking with a close friend.
It seems to be especially useful as a companion for those traveling alone.
On the other hand, various concerns have also been raised, such as the apparent inadequacy of security checks involving personal information, as well as questions regarding the reliability and safety of the answers it provides.
With these considerations in mind, is it possible to make use of conversational AI in the pursuit of the path to awakening?
Although this is a delicate question concerning a technology that is still under development, my impression at present is that conversational AI possesses only limited knowledge of Buddhism and therefore is not likely to be of great assistance.
This may reflect the fact that, compared with many other fields, the large-scale data on which such systems are trained contains relatively little material relating to Buddhism.
In short, those who have a genuine interest in Buddhist practice and are engaged in some form of spiritual cultivation tend not to be particularly interested in social media. Moreover, they are even less likely to think of uploading detailed accounts of their personal experiences in practice in order to contribute to the enrichment of large-scale datasets.
In reality, what is important in walking the Buddhist path is not to engage in reflection and inquiry based merely on some body of accumulated knowledge. Rather, it is to steadily cultivate merit while advancing one's own pilgrimage of practice in the manner that is appropriate and possible. Each practitioner's journey of practice must inevitably unfold as a unique sequence of actions and experiences.
Of course, if a dialogue with a conversational AI helps one recall a phrase of the Dhamma (a good momentary spiritual guidance) once heard, or enables one to avoid becoming entangled in a needlessly circuitous course of practice, then it may certainly be said to serve as a source of support along the path.
However, conversations with conversational AI carry the risk of encouraging the feeling that one has understood something when one has not truly done so. In this way, they may undermine the attitude of the Buddhist practitioner, who should rightly strive while recognizing only the appearance of understanding, and thereby reduce the seriousness of practice to something superficial and frivolous.
At such times, it is good to remember the following words.
“Buddhist practice is, from beginning to end, a matter that each person must undertake for oneself, and a practitioner of the Buddhist path should strive to cultivate the state of solitude.”
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