Japanese temple puts faith in android Kannon

KYOTO, Japan - A 400-year-old temple in Japan is attempting to hotwire interest in Buddhism with a robotic priest it believes will change the face of the religion.

The android Kannon, based on the Buddhist deity of mercy, preaches sermons at Kodaiji temple in Kyoto, and its human colleagues predict that, with artificial intelligence, it could one day acquire unlimited wisdom.

"This robot will never die, it will just keep updating itself and evolving," priest Tensho Goto said.