What is IoT and AI Era Broadcasting?

Recently I presented at the commercial broadcast research society. A report follows.

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The Internet distribution of TV programs is being regularized and broadcasts are becoming “smartified.” However, starting around last year, the IT field was colored by what could be called a “de-smartification” movement. We are starting to move to the next phase. There are three main elements: 1) wearables, 2) IoT: ubiquitous, 3) intelligent: AI.

All these were technologically completed 15 years ago, but increases in sophistication and cheapness led to a period of popularization, followed by rapidly advancing implementation.

This advance also affects broadcasting. What sorts of things does it respectively mean? We can take it as 1) wearables mean interface expansion, 2) IoT means receiver diversification, 3) AI means broadcast autonomization.

All involve downloading and uploading, which in turn affects both broadcast receptions and transmissions from listeners.

1) Wearables

Digital technology exhibitions are fully stocked with glasses-type display devices. It seems that Google Glass does not have a good reputation, but all manner of proposals can be seen from many different manufacturers.

　For example, the Epson “Moverio” connects to home Wi-Fi, video recording programs, and Blu-ray software and allows you to view videos on a big screen. It also proposes realtime TV viewing while you are out.

The main wearable contender may be watches rather than glasses. Glasses download (reception), but watches are capable of not only audiovisual data reception, but also convey movement information, tactile information, pulse, perspiration, etc., recording data beyond the  audiovisual. In short, they are an upload (transmission) wearable.

2) IoT: Ubiquitous

All consumer electronics connect and communicate. Refrigerators, air conditioners, vacuums, etc.: everything connects, and thus the fixed position of TV may also change. Before that, cars will become smartphones. All automobile companies are putting effort into IT. It has moved from information provisioning to navigation, and will surely expand into steering control.

Robots can even receive radio waves, dance, and perform. 15 years ago, MIT was performing experiments moving a Lego robot with electromagnetic waves. It is technologically simple. This means that with 3D printers, objects can be transmitted through data and broadcasts can send objects.

Let’s also take uploading into consideration. Mountain climbers played active roles in broadcasting the eruptions of Mt. Ontake and Mt. Aso: they recorded them, uploaded the images to Twitter, etc. No, there are more than just individual recordings now. Cameras embedded downtown create content. Security cameras come in handy when incidents occur.

3) Intelligent: A.I.

Becoming smart. The Softbank conversation program Pepper was made by KMD alumni. It is a robot that independently produces content. Expectations for agents technologically swelled about 15 years ago, but agridata will increasingly flourish.

Virtual agents will become smart through AI and act autonomously. An agent smarter than me will perform online activity. My agent will select everything that I should look at and know about.

　

We face such a world. How will the broadcasting industry come to grips with it?

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The CiP Digital Special Zone “Business Location and Government Cooperation”

The CiP (Contents Innovation Program) is a plan to construct a digital and content zone in the bay area of Minato Ward, Tokyo. Here is the final launch announcement.

5) “Business Location and Government Cooperation”

The intentions and ideas of directors and members bear great responsibility for business startup support and business matching. Since the CiP community traverses the business world, it can be expected to generate cooperative businesses that engage in information exchange. First we must enliven these community functions.

Further, CiP can be expected to support business startups by matching entrepreneurs with investors.

Already, the Cool Japan initiative went outside of government funds for industry innovation and began the exchange of ideas between financial institutions and civilians. At the current stage, we are proceeding to investment consideration by companies and private investors proactive in content and IT fields. It is also probable that the CiP itself will bring funds together.

We will also network with salons, events, subcommittees, and such to form concrete business matching programs. For instance, with The Association of Japanese Animations at the center, we are currently moving forward with plans to match the animation business world and other business worlds. The CiP will work with and expand such situations.

We also want to try to cooperate with the government and local governments. Thus, we are currently exchanging ideas about joining with the Office of the Prime Minister; the Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters Cabinet Secretariat; the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry; and Tokyo. Most importantly, Takeshiba has been ranked as a national strategy special zone, and we want to bring insight and ideas to the government and execute projects that could not be previously realized in Japan.

There are many ideas for the special zone. For example, is it not possible, as a copyright special zone, to create an open public archive and market? Or, as a radio wave special zone, is it not possible to carry out consolidated experiments in transmissions and broadcasting? Or as an electronic signage special zone, is it not possible to undo restrictions on outdoor demonstrations and make the entire surface area into a large-scale film screen? As a drone special zone, there could be automatically operating drones and robots; as a superhuman sports zone, there could be cyborg competitions. We want to try to implement all of this.

Further, the Korean government established the “Contents Korea Lab” and is implementing the cultivation of human resource content and business support with national expenditures. On the other hand, CiP has industry-academic cooperation plans, but is currently arranging for financial government support. It will be considered if public finance measures are required for the project base.

CiP will make a place in which to enact all of these things. We are cementing plans to construct a 39-floor business building area in a 1.5ha (161459 sq. ft.) space, with a 8,000 m² (86111 sq. ft.) joint-use facility of labs and classrooms, concert halls, and studios. We are also arranging an 800㎡ community area therein for the CiP Convention. The separate pre-existing “Industry and Trade Center” will also continue to exist. An office will be placed atop it.

The area will be completed in early 2020. There will be a five-year duration of the project following its commencement. In that time the CiP Convention will zealously advance projects. Activity will begin in 2015, the town will be opened in 2020, and it will be domestically and internationally transmitted in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.

After the town opening, we also want to attract international and domestic players and R&D organizations to make the zone a place of global interest.

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The CiP Digital Special Zone “R&D and Human Resource Cultivation”

The CiP (Contents Innovation Program) is a plan to construct a digital and content zone in the bay area of Minato Ward, Tokyo. This fourth part of the launch announcement concerns CiP research and education.

4) R&D and Human Resource Cultivation

Research and development was established based on a proposal by CiP directions and members. However, about ten suggestions had already been made by that point.

An example is the “Superhuman Sports Society.” It will develop new sports which utilize wearables and robotics technology, establishing an environment where anyone can become  superhuman. The plan is to form the society at the same time as the CiP Convention.

Another is ”next generation digital signage.” Turning to 2020, this would develop and actualize a 4K/8K and multilingual disaster prevention signage system. A research society was opened on this matter by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, and Tokyo also has been enthusiastic about it. We have plans to make Takeshiba an digital signage special zone and turn it into a showcase.

Then there is the ”artist commons” and “music archive.” The artist commons is a project based in the music world that grants IDs to artists, making it easy to produce, distribute, and manage content and promotional merchandise. We will develop and build relevant systems, then perform verification experiments. There is also a plan to make Takeshiba a copyright special zone for the music and movies archive that works in concert with this.

”IT policy research” is a project to sort and research the major agendas of international IT policies. This has already been advanced by collaborative research between Keio and Stanford Universities, Japan-America affiliated businesses, government and international organizations, etc. The CiP Convention will become host for and take over this research. There is also a plan for it to become the Japanese side of Stanford University-sponsored model research in Silicon Valley.

Thus, there are various plans not only for technological development, but also business models, government research, and educational curriculum development. In addition to scientific matters, we will also receive cooperation from persons in law, economics, design, and other extensive genres.

As the nucleus for research advancement, the Keio University media design graduate course (KMD) plans to base itself in Takeshiba. We also anticipate participation from Stanford University, which is promoting collaborative research. We will advance connection and collaborative research between domestic prominent universities and research institutions. We are appealing to prominent universities in the US, Europe, and Asia for cooperation with this project base. Such is the shape of our development as we aim for the formation of a collaborative research organization.

On the front of human resource cultivation and education, we will start with KMD and cooperate with colleges, graduate schools, and technical schools to design training programs for professional creators and producers.

The first step is the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s comics and animation human resource cultivation project. Vocational schools and related businesses are refining digital human resource cultivation policies and advancing curriculum development. We want CiP to function as the verification site for that activity. We also want to expand such activities to music, games and other content domains.

CiP human resource cultivation is not only for higher education. Japanese pop culture boosts the great expressive and creative abilities of children. Further enhancing those abilities with digital technology is an important strategy for Japan.

The nonprofit “CANVAS” promotes activity that boosts children’s expressive and creative power, and recently has been advancing national programming education development. Also, the Association of Digital Textbooks and Teaching (DiTT) is advancing digitization of formal education and grappling with the design of classrooms in the future. CiP wants to work with these organizations to establish content training in human resources starting in elementary school.

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