In Japan, a country famous for its love of everything robotic, some have taken the integration of mechanical counterparts in our daily lives one step further, as a mechanical 'priest' named Mindar has begun conducting prayers in a 400-year old Buddhist temple in Tokyo, the Daily Star reported.

According to the report, the $1,000,000 robot is made of steel and silicon and features a distinctively featureless and androgynous face of synthetic skin. Contrary to its sexless appearance, the robot speaks in a female voice.

Designed by robotics researcher Hiroshi Ishiguro, the automaton 'priest' is currently programmed with only a few pre-recorded prayers, but a Kodaji temple representative believes that one day, with the addition of artificial intelligence, Mindar could have "unlimited wisdom."