By Kenji Saito | Representative Director
Please find a Japanese version of this report here.
During Japan's January long weekend, we once again held a camp on AI and robotics at Waseda University. Twelve elementary, middle, and high school students from the Tohoku, Kanto, and Tokai regions participated. This time, the camp was titled "Live and Let Think," focusing on meta-thinking, exploring what tasks and thoughts to assign to AI-equipped cat-shaped robots we assembed in the September camp last year.
The first activity we did was a simplified version of Yamabushi training. We wrapped white sacred headbands around our heads and visited gardens, shrines, and parks around the university campus. We offered prayers, felt the presence of nature, and reflected on the coexistence of humans and the natural world. The reason for this activity was to draw a parallel: just as AI and robotics function autonomously, nature also operates autonomously from the human perspective. This similarity made us consider how humans interact with nature and how that might be comparable to our relationships with AI and robots.
Next, we explored the latest generative AI tools and experienced the remarkable capabilities of AI, which are beginning to surpass human thinking abilities. Following this, we engaged in discussions using the World Café format. Through these conversations, we reflected on how we feel about AI, the similarities and differences between nature and AI, what tasks AI should perform, and how we might interact with AI and robots in the year 2035. During the discussions, a unique question emerged from the children: "Which is the 'field'—AI or humans? Who is harvesting from whom?" This thought-provoking question sparked a debate, leading to the conclusion that perhaps both could be the "field" in different view points.
We then customized six cat-shaped robots, enhanced for voice interaction, by assigning each a unique character and speaking style. Afterward, we prepared to demonstrate scenes of life with AI and robots in the year 2035 and presented them as short skits in front of everyone. For example, the skits featured scenarios such as attending school alongside a companion robot, getting help with household chores, living with a robot as a partner, or having a robot as a playmate.
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