South Korea’s AI shamans foretell a future in old tradition

AdvertisementSouth KoreaAsiaEast AsiaSouth Korea’s AI shamans foretell a future in old traditionThe technology, which combines voice recognition with a generative AI chatbot, uses a centuries-old belief system to interpret fates 2-MIN READ2-MIN ListenAgence France-PressePublished: 12:20pm, 18 Apr 2026Updated: 12:30pm, 18 Apr 2026The sound of tinkling bells drifts through an alley in central Seoul, an unmistakable sign that a shaman is near – although in this case the mystic is a robot powered by artificial intelligence.Many South Koreans still place great value in shamanic traditions, which purport to divine a person’s future based on the day and time they were born.Practitioners, known as mudang, wear long, colourful robes and perform dances and chants to commune with the gods – sometimes even walking on sharp blades to demonstrate their spiritual connection. AdvertisementHowever, at Vinaida, a cultural products store in the capital, they are computer-generated avatars on screens. Visitors take photos in front of a Korean shamanism theme shop in Seoul on Wednesday. Photo: AFPVisitor Kim Da-ae, 36, called it a “unique experience”. AdvertisementAdvertisementSelect VoiceSelect Speed0.8x0.9x1.0x1.1x1.2x1.5x1.75x00:0000:001.00x