KIP Co-chair Sawada, Prof. Fukuoka speak about AI at Osaka-Kansai Expo

Chairman Sawada and Professor Fukuoka share many commonalities: both are Kyoto University graduates, have deep knowledge of philosopher Kitaro Nishida, and hold strong attachments to the Expo. Professor Fukuoka, who visited the 1970 Osaka Expo as a  teen and recalled being “thrilled,” said he produced the pavilion “DYNAMIC EQUILIBRIUM OF LIFE” at this year’s Expo with the desire to “hand over a philosophy for reconsidering life for a better society and future of the planet.”

During their dialogue, Chairman Sawada and Professor Fukuoka exchanged views on life, science and technology, and humanity’s future—an eternal theme of world expositions. Professor Fukuoka stated, “What should be the relationship between IT and life? This cannot be determined by IT alone; a meta-perspective from humanities knowledge needs to serve as a compass,” reaffirming his support for the institute’s founding principles. Chairman Sawada expressed sympathy with Professor Fukuoka’s explanation of an “altruistic theory of life,” responding, “Biological and natural movements are both selfish and altruistic—we need such a pluralistic concept. That’s why I established KIP, thinking that we need the concept of a ‘Multilayered society of values’ as described by Kyoto University Professor Yasuo Deguchi.”

At the Osaka-Kansai Expo, NTT also has a corporate pavilion where a live performance by the music group Perfume, recreated using the next-generation information and communication infrastructure “IOWN” spatial transmission technology, has been gaining popularity. The dialogue topics extended to the evolution of communication methods developed by NTT and the state of AI, which is sweeping the world. Chairman Sawada pointed out, “Unless we envision something like an ‘Internet of AIs’ where AI itself regulates and controls AI and AIs connect with each other, AI might not work well.” Professor Fukuoka responded, ”With just two AIs, we end up with an adversarial structure, so we need another AI to complement them. It would be good to have an altruistic model where three or more AIs mutually regulate while helping each other.” The corporate representatives gathered at the venue listened intently.