Report from the Riken Center for Advanced Intelligence Project (AIP) - Part 2

 ■Report from the Riken Center for Advanced Intelligence Project (AIP) - Part 2

The AIP center has a three-layer structure involving the Generic Technology Research Group, the Goal-Oriented Technology Research Group, and the Artificial Intelligence in Society Research Group.

Basic research to build a general foundation involves personal battles, as researchers who are strong in mathematics explore principles in a straightforward manner. We must exert ourselves in this field as a nation.

Goal-oriented applied research is a highly competitive field around the world that is driven by massive capital. The key is for research institutes to be open to cooperation instead of being closed off. Regarding this point, a hub has been formed through the creation of a center to connect with NEC, Toshiba, Fujitsu, and Fujifilm.

What is also significant is that efforts toward social issues are being insourced. The aim is to integrate arts and sciences to build AI society while also researching ethics, privacy, and systems. Given that AI provides the world with anxiety as well as hope, it is important for key personnel involved in research and development to have conversations with the public.

AI and robots will take jobs. Restlessness spread across Japan based on the results of research by the University of Oxford and other institutions. While there is no country safer than Japan, there is also no country with more anxiety than Japan.

Cashless settlements cannot be advanced due to anxiety. The process of introducing IT to elementary schools also stalls. The sharing economy does not spread either. This is a problem involving the atmosphere. I want to change the atmosphere.

If AI takes over 90% of jobs without reducing productivity, we only need to do 10% of the work to live if we can distribute funds properly through a basic income or other measures. There is no better news than this. I believe that a “super bored society” will come and I want it to come soon.

This society will seek a “playing style” revolution rather than a “working style” revolution. This society will involve super entertainment, super sports, the learning of tomorrow, and super romance. Creative ways to pass the time will become important. I believe it will likely become a society that is busier than it is now.

More than being a major nation in the development of AI, Japan should aim to be a major nation in its usage. This is similar to how female high school students turned emojis and photo sharing into a culture using IT and mobile technologies. Another example is how Japan created the video game industry using technologies produced in the United States. The idea is to implement new technologies ahead of the curve in fields like pop culture that Japan thrives in and fields like welfare and disaster prevention that Japan faces as a troubled advanced nation.

I would like the Japanese government to funnel policy-based funds toward research by Riken and other institutions. More than that, I would like it to provide guidance for the proactive usage of AI. We must first use it ourselves. AI can write all replies to Diet deliberations. AI can read it also.

Japan will be the center of global attention during the Tokyo Olympics. This is a great opportunity to show off the development and introduction of AI. As a personal endeavor, I am also working on a project to establish a special district in the Tokyo Bay area for the introduction of all technologies including AI, robotics, 5G, and 8K. The World Expo will be held in Osaka in 2025. I would like AIP to take advantage of these opportunities to make progress in open activities.

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Report from the Riken Center for Advanced Intelligence Project (AIP) - Part 1

 ■Report from the Riken Center for Advanced Intelligence Project (AIP) - Part 1

AIP, which is Riken’s AI research center, held a symposium. I serve as the coordinator of this center and provided a greeting.

I used to be a government official. When I was starting my career in the mid ’80s, I took charge of a project to develop an automatic translation phone using the shares from the privatization of the Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Public Corporation. As a result, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International was established in the Kansai region. I then went to MIT and developed a project with Marvin Minsky and others. Being the coordinator at AIP is my third involvement with AI.

AI is becoming the hottest issue in the world. Not a day goes by without AI being mentioned in the news. Seeing an elderly lady praise AI while trying a massage chair while I was at a household electronics store the other day, I felt that it was amazing that we have reached the point where people refer to AI instead of artificial intelligence from the development to implementation stages.

The term Industry 4.0 was coined in Germany to point to AI, IoT, and the data-driven society that serves as the foundation. It is positioned as the fourth industry, following light industry, heavy industry, and the information industry. In contrast, the Japanese government proposed Society 5.0. This is the 5th society or rather 5th civilization following hunting, agriculture, industry, and information. Which term do all of you prefer?

I believe that the event of AI, which is a creation of humankind, surpassing the abilities of humankind and creations of humankind communicating with each other will be so significant as to divide the history of humankind before and after it and is not part of the Industrial Revolution, which took place for only 2-3 centuries after it began in the 18th century. At the very least, I believe it should be portrayed in the context of the theory of civilization, as the Japanese term suggests.

Every country is certainly aware of this. For this reason, the United States, China, and the EU repeatedly lock swords over data. Although GAFA has obtained power than surpasses an ordinary nation, its CEOs are being criticized for their outflow of personal information.

The EU implemented GDPR, while France and the United Kingdom have introduced digital taxes. The United States and China are sharply at odds over companies that handle 5G equipment. These are all examples of the struggle for hegemony in a data-driven society.

Land is the resource for an agricultural society. Oil is the resource for an industrial society. Information is the resource for an information society. Data is the resource for an AI/IoT society. Nations have repeatedly fought wars over land and oil. There have also been struggles between nations over hegemony in the field of information media. The battle over data is becoming serious.

The Japanese government has set up the “Council to Evaluate Principles of Human-Centric AI Society” in the Cabinet Office and prepares to lead international discussions among the G7 and OECD. The Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters, which I serve as the chairperson of, has also advocated for intellectual property strategies involving AI ahead of the rest of the world. However, the development and introduction of AI, which is the core, is more important than discussions. There is a need to funnel efforts toward this. I understand that Riken plays an important role in this aspect.

This situation in which the United States, China, and the EU fight each other presents an opportunity. Even putting AI and data to the side, no end is in sight for the trade war between the United States and China. In the EU, domestic politics are turbulent in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Italy. Japan is in a position to find harmony regarding AI, which is the next common theme for humankind.

Japan is a troubled advanced nation due to aging society and natural disasters. How can AI be used to face these issues head-on? How can AI contribute to the SDGs? Is this not an opportunity for Japan to present its solutions to the world?

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The Learning of Tomorrow Business by Yoshimoto and NTT Supported by CANVAS

 ■The Learning of Tomorrow Business by Yoshimoto and NTT Supported by CANVAS

“Laugh & Peace_Mother” is the learning of tomorrow transmission platform by Yoshimoto Kogyo, NTT, and the Cool Japan Fund. Japan, which has been unable to produce a global platform like Netflix or Amazon, aims for success in the field of education. Moreover, it has received investment of 10 billion yen from a national policy fund.

The creativity, expressiveness, and objective of learning while playing that we have fostered at CANVAS for nearly 20 years would serve as the foundation. This suggests that our activities as digital kids were finally recognized by NTT and other adults after 20 years and received a valuation of 10 billion yen.

Computers are used to make anime and games. Programming is used to build robots.

Digital cameras and the internet are used to create and transmit commercials for the town. Futuristic cars and schools are designed.

Everybody does it together.

The “Workshop Collection,” which brings together various workshops, has grown into the world’s largest creative event for kids that gathered 100,000 people in 2 days.

There were 2 issues.

The first was the financial backing to move forward with activities. We had no relationship with money.

The other was overseas development. We were struggling just to change domestic policies and attitudes.

Technology has welcomed a new age. The transition went from digital (computers and the internet) to smart (smartphones and social networking) to super-smart, which involves AI and IoT. We are also at the stage when education must become “the learning of tomorrow.”

Under these circumstances, we launched “Laugh & Peace_Mother.”

I feel as if it was inevitable to begin a project that resolves the 2 major issues, as we received financial backing to the tune of 10 billion yen and would be expanding overseas.

CANVAS and Yoshimoto are truly a good match. Actually, we first reached out to Yoshimoto Kogyo when we were founding CANVAS. We asked them to do a stand-up comedy workshop.

CEO Osaki declares, “Yoshimoto will become an educational company.”

I had always seen Yoshimoto as an educational company that hypnotized those with nowhere to go and trained them to become entertainers, but now it is time for them to become a business that exerts its force outward. This is why CANVAS was chosen.

Through my involvement in programming at MIT and digital kids activities, 20 years have passed since I began to promote workshops and digital education in Japan, thinking that children in Japan would have more inspiring output in terms of creative and expressive steam. I finally feel that this has reached the point of recognition.

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Discussions Regarding Comprehensive Antipiracy Measures Enter the Final Stage

 ■Discussions Regarding Comprehensive Antipiracy Measures Enter the Final Stage

The Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters Antipiracy Task Force could not reach a consensus, but discussions continue among the committee to reflect the content of these discussions on the Intellectual Property Promotion Plan, which is the Japanese government’s action plan.

A council was held to bring an end to this.

A comprehensive set of measures was proposed during the previous council.

This involved the following 3 points and 10 categories excluding blocking.

1: Immediately do what can be done.

　Education and awareness of copyrights, promotion of official distribution, establish an organization for countermeasures, enhance international cooperation and execution, countermeasures on search sites, countermeasures for advertisement drafts, filtering, and access warning methods.

2: Prepare for implementation and bill proposal.

　Access warning methods, countermeasures for leech sites, and prohibition of downloads of still images that infringe on rights.

3: Assess the situation while observing the effect of other efforts and the harm being caused.

　Blocking.

There are 10 categories listed above, excluding blocking. The plan involves clarifying the actions to be executed for and the competent authority in charge of each category.

The parties involved were asked about their thoughts.

A publishing company reported on “MANGA Plus,” for the transmission of official content. Popular works, including ONE PIECE, would be transmitted for free with advertisements in Japan and 170 countries simultaneously.

The Japan Cartoonists Association presented their opinions. First, they would like to enhance official content, regulate advertisement drafts, and regulate leech sites. Once the boundaries for illicit activities are set properly, regulation on downloads would be assessed and uploading would be cracked down on tightly.

The cartoonist Ken Akamatsu stated that “it was reported that there was conflict surrounding the prohibition of downloads, but I appreciate the measures,” and pointed out that countermeasures for leech sites would be welcomed, but there should be limits to the range of the prohibition on downloads, and there are concerns about access warning methods and blocking.

There was a general consensus regarding the direction and priority of official content, education, international cooperation, and countermeasures for leech sites.

This brings this round to an end. This will be utilized to formulate the Intellectual Property Promotion Plan.

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Comprehensive Antipiracy Measures Are Under Review

 ■Comprehensive Antipiracy Measures Are Under Review

We discussed the situation regarding antipiracy measures among the Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters Committee. 1 year has passed since the announcement of emergency measures by the Japanese government.

Although a consensus could not be reached regarding the opinions of those in the Task Force, the office proposed a comprehensive set of measures based on the items that were discussed. The proposal involves 3 layers.

1: Immediately do what can be done.

Education and awareness of copyrights, promotion of official distribution, establish an organization for countermeasures, enhance international cooperation and execution, countermeasures on search sites, countermeasures for advertisement drafts, filtering, and access warning methods.

2: Prepare for implementation and bill proposal.

Access warning methods, countermeasures for leech sites, and prohibition of downloads of still images that infringe on rights.

3: Assess the situation while observing the effect of other efforts and the harm being caused.

Blocking.

There are 10 categories listed above, excluding blocking. The plan involves clarifying the actions to be executed for and the competent authority in charge of each category.

Discussions regarding revision of the Copyright Act, which includes countermeasures for leech sites and prohibition of downloads, in the Council for Cultural Affairs became complicated, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs decided not to submit a bill, as agreement could not be reached with the Liberal Democratic Party either. Regarding the matter, it was stated that “Preparations for submitting a bill will continue while carefully listening to the voice of the people.”

Because blocking and prohibition of downloads are also very difficult issues, I believe it was also suitable that opinions would be split in the council. As a democracy, it is justified for legislation to make the intentions of the government pause. We have yet to reach a proper resolution to the issue regarding intellectual property and IT. We may need to be prepared to continue a rapid process of trial and error.

The EU published the names of companies as part of a watch list of malicious entities involved in piracy. There was agreement on a copyright directive involving restrictions on digital usage rights for educational purposes and the duty to obtain consent from those with the rights to platform content. The office reported that activities are becoming advanced.

The Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts, and Telecommunications explained the filtering measures based on reform to the Act to Prepare an Online Environment for the Youth. The Task Force that I serve as the chief investigator for has also been discussing this issue and plans to move forward with this in conjunction with antipiracy measures. There was also a report that an effort would be made to build a cooperative relationship between the communications industry and rightsholders.

Attorney Fukui reported that there is a desire to build a forum for tens of interested communications and publishing companies to discuss measures. Will it be possible to mend the relationships that were cracked in the Task Force to move forward? Nongovernment support is sought.

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Now Is the Time for Online Safety and Security Measures for the Youth

 ■Now Is the Time for Online Safety and Security Measures for the Youth

I will serve as the chief investigator for the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts, and Telecommunications Task Force for Preparing an Environment for Safe and Secure Internet Use by the Youth.

The Act to Prepare an Online Environment for the Youth requires mobile phone companies and agencies to check for the youth, explain filtering, and implement measures to activate filtering and has been revised to include tablets in the requirements for filtering.

Promotion of the use of filtering is also emphasized in countermeasures against pirated sites. High School Plus allows the partial use of social networking services, and over half of filter users select it.

It is seen as having had a certain effect in response to the need to emphasize both social networking service usage and the guarantee of safety and security.

Smartphone usage rates are 96% for high school students, 58% for middle school students, and 29% for elementary school students (as of 2017). The number of youths who have been harmed through social networking services is showing an increasing trend.

The usage rate of smartphone filtering has remained at 44%. The most frequently cited reason for not using filtering is “proper internet usage by children can be managed without filtering (26%).”

Among children 90% use LINE, 30% use Twitter, and 20% use Instagram. Over 90% of guardians admit that their children use social networking services.

Guardians are interested in and concerned about “smartphone dependency,” “the effect on education and grades,” and “the effect on the body and health.”

Many tend to believe that household rules regarding “usage time” and “spending” are important.

There was also a discussion about permission to bring smartphones to school.

There have been incidents in which everybody uses the device of a child with loose filtering, resulting higher usage fees for these children. It was mentioned that new measures, such as enforcing filtering and increasing literacy, will become needed.

Furthermore, if BYOD (bring your own device) systems, in which students study on their own devices, are to advance, there may be a need to discuss the use of filtering as a prerequisite. As the computerization of education moves forward, online safety measures at school appear to be headed to the nest stage.

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The Learning of Tomorrow Discussion at the Council for Regulatory Reform - Part 2

 ■The Learning of Tomorrow Discussion at the Council for Regulatory Reform - Part 2

　What must be done in the future is to promote the learning of tomorrow. The world is 2 laps ahead. It has gone beyond digital education using computers and smart education using BYOD and the cloud and is entering the learning of tomorrow and EdTech using IoT, blockchain, and AI.

　The learning of tomorrow is based on super-smart technology, such as IoT, blockchain, and AI.

There is a possibility that it will bring about change that makes us reevaluate the content, environment, and evaluation of learning, such as regarding subjects, exams, and schools themselves.

　In terms of subjects, AI is likely to realize super individual learning across subjects. Therefore, curriculums must be reworked. This could lead to an examination of the content and existence of grading and fields of academic guidance.

　In addition, the accumulation of all academic history using blockchain will likely eliminate the need for testing. The state of entrance exams will be examined.

　As a result of these changes, it will likely become possible to design an educational environment that goes beyond the frames of academic years, schools, and educational institutions. There is a chance that the state of the school system itself will be examined.

　China has included the usage of AI for education in its national strategy and is collecting data about children’s facial expressions and academic history by setting up cameras and sensors in classrooms for use in an overhaul of education. Their plan is to expand this educational environment on a global scale. In South Korea, which took the first step in digital education, the government has also carried out advanced development of teaching materials and educational environments with an eye on the global market. Japan fell behind to companies in the United States and China in AI development and is also falling behind to the world in the computerization of education. However, the future of Japan is not bright if it continues to rely on the rest of the world in this field.

　Under these circumstances, this proposal is for the construction of a platform that connects the industry and academia to “introduce” super subjects, super exams, and super schools. The idea is to create a world-class cutting-edge stage for learning through an association of educational institutions inside and outside Japan across early childhood education, primary and secondary education, university, and lifelong learning and private companies.

○Funnel all technologies that comprise digital, smart, and super-smart elements

○Enhance the link between industry and academia

○Design a new educational environment where students are the drivers

○Flexible operation that goes beyond the frame of school, involving grade skipping, credit transfer, and course completion certification

○Prepare virtual and real educational environments in various locations through online and remote learning

○Develop next-generation educational systems, services, and materials and expand them overseas　

○Positive usage of educational history and other data

Through the above, super-smart human resources that carry the next generation will be nurtured.

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