From October 2nd to 4th, 2016, Asahi Shimbun held the "Asahi Earth Conference" at Iino Hall and Imperial Hotel. "Asahi Earth Conference" is an event renamed in 2016 from "Asahi Global Environmental Forum" held since 2008. Experts were invited to hold discussions on the basic theme of "environment, beyond, realization of a sustainable society."
On October 2nd, we invited Mr. Hiroshi Ishiguro, a visiting director of the ATR Hiroshi Ishiguro Research Institute, who is a professor of intelligent robotics and a professor of Osaka University, to talk about the theme of "Can humans fall in love with androids?" Ishiguro is a pioneer in robotics who has developed an android that looks exactly like himself. Ms. Mamiko Takahashi, Director General of Asahi Shimbun Morioka, who was in charge of robots and IoT as an editorial writer, acted as the facilitator.
From the left, Mamiko Takahashi, director of the Morioka General Bureau of the Asahi Shimbun, Hiroshi Ishiguro, a visiting director of the ATR Hiroshi Ishiguro Special Research Institute, an intelligent robot scientist and professor at Osaka University /h2>Mr. Hiroshi IshiguroIn the beginning, Mr. Ishiguro spoke under the title of "Robots and Future Society." Mr. Ishiguro was interested in what it means to be human, which led him to pursue a career in artificial intelligence and robotics. By creating a robot that looks just like a human being, you can learn about people and yourself. The interesting thing about robots is that they make us think about issues such as human identity, existence, and consciousness. He said that he has obtained hints and know-how for making robots from the fields of cognitive science and brain science, and is conducting research in which understanding people and developing robots coexist.
Then, he explained his research on "HRI (Human Robot Interaction)". “When it comes to robot research, self-driving cars and industrial robots were common, but around 2000, research began in the field of using robots in everyday life. Understanding people is closely related to robotics engineering. It is connected.
The same can be said for product development other than robots. I believe that the reason why the iPhone became popular is that Steve Jobs understood people one step deeper than other manufacturers. It is impossible to design user-friendly interfaces or provide music distribution services without understanding people. If we don't understand people and make products, we can't change the world," says Ishiguro.
Mr. Ishiguro cooperated in the variety show "Matsuko to Matsuko" which was broadcast on Nippon Television for six months from April 2015. This is a program in which an android that looks exactly like the media personality Matsuko Deluxe appears.
At the venue, there will be an interactive android "ERICA", a CPG (Central Pattern Generator), and a "machine human Alter" that is controlled by a "neural network" that mimics the structure of the neural circuits of the human brain. ”, introduced the remote-controlled robot “Telenoid”.
What is the difference between robots and artificial intelligence? What is ``humanness''?
Mamiko TakahashiFrom this point on, it was a dialogue with Ms. Takahashi. When asked by Mr. Takahashi, "Are there any differences between robots and artificial intelligence?" Mr. Ishiguro replied, "They are the same." “In 2012, University of Toronto professor Jeffrey Hinton found a way to compute large-scale neural networks that improved the accuracy of speech and image recognition. No. Giving them intentions and desires is another matter, and I'm fumbling over how to program them.” I don't know how much I know," he said.
When Mr. Takahashi asked, ``Is it the other person's mind that perceives it as being human?'' Mr. Ishiguro replied, ``The mind has no substance. If you just believe that there is a heart, maybe robots can also have a heart.”
This is where Telenoid, a remote-controlled robot, comes into play. It is a robot that adopts a neutral design that can be seen by both men and women, children and adults, and does not allow information such as gender and age to be obtained from its appearance. According to Mr. Ishiguro, he chose this shape because "when information is stripped away, people complement positively."
Telenoid can control voice and movement on PC. It is said that he is able to interact with people who thought he could not communicate, such as dementia, mental disorders, and autism.
In addition, a cushion-shaped stuffed toy "Hugvie" that can hold a mobile phone is also available. You can talk while hugging, and this is also a shape that aims to be complemented positively by stripping off information. It's been scientifically proven that Hugbee makes you more intimate with the people you talk to. "When the two pieces of information, tactile sensation and voice, overlap, people feel more human. Japanese people in particular are not accustomed to physical contact, so the sense of intimacy increases. Talking with Hugbee also creates romantic feelings," says Mr. Ishiguro. .
Is there a future where robots will take away human employment?
Next, Mr. Takahashi asked Mr. Ishiguro about ``concerns about robots taking away human employment.'' Mr. Ishiguro said, "I feel like we're talking about the same thing as in the Renaissance. Everything is made with technology. Denying technology is the same as denying people. Losing jobs means advancing technology." It is only natural that the education period for studying technology will be extended by that amount.Because of the difference in ability, some people will finish their studies early, and some will study for the rest of their lives and hardly work. Even so, society will become prosperous,” he said.
In response to the question, "If you're a robot, you don't have suspicions, and the walls of your heart can be removed. How much can you trust?" Some people open up too much.The social risk is also great.We need to create a manual and ethical code."
"On the other hand, there is also the positive aspect that people who cannot talk to people can communicate with each other by placing the robot. Communication is enriched by various media such as telephone, email, and SNS. There are also people who can be connected through the media of robots.Since each person has their own situation and values, I would like to create a diverse worldview,” said Mr. Ishiguro.
When asked by Mr. Takahashi, "Some people can't fall in love with real people. Can you fall in love with a robot?" Humans are not always perfect, and it is important that various media are available."
Finally, I answered questions from the audience using Twitter. When asked, "Do humans want androids as copies of humans, or do they want androids as beings that are different from humans?," he answered, "Humans are animals that use technology, and I think humans are no different from robots." For example, if you ask whether a human being needs a physical body, it doesn't matter.Even if you don't have limbs, you're still human, and even if you have a mechanical body, you're still human.There is no scientific definition of human beings. It is society that defines it," said Ishiguro.