I have conducted my interviews and survey on AI and Robots to young people since 2016. In 2016, I asked 200 Japanese high school students about a future with AI and robots.
In the first Section, I am collaborating with Hiroshi Ishiguro who is one of the most popular android scientists. We designed our questionnaires about young people and their adaptation to new technologies such as hologram, VR, AI, BMI and robots. Although Japanese young people seem able to adapt easily to new technologies, only 20% of them support the idea of implanting a chip into the brain or replace artificial legs in order to improve their capability.
AI for Social Good
In Section 2, I designed the questionnaires about the opportunities and risks of AI, which is based on the Stanford “Artificial Intelligence and Life in 2030” report as well as the international symposium of “AI for Social Good” which I co-hosted in Waseda University with Harvard University in March, 2017.
The opportunities and risks of AI
The study considered both the opportunities and the risks.
For today, however, I will focus on the opportunities side of the story. Robots provide new opportunities in terms of care. For example, an aging population and increasing medical care expenses for the elderly are serious problems in Japan. Therapeutic robots such as Paro will heal elder people without taking any medicine thus reduce the cost of healthcare and labor.
People engage with robots not only economically but also emotionally. There are multiple engagements with social robots such as entertainment, healing, social intimacy, and pseudo love.
The Section 3 of the “youth and AI” survey consists of cross-cultural research on young people and robots in Japan, Italy and Australia. We asked to what extent respondents agree or disagree with the use of robots in the 11 sectors.
In terms of this question, Japanese young people agree with robot use in most sectors. However they prefer human service in areas such as healthcare (45％), care of children, elderly and the disabled (40%) and education(25％).
Empowerment in micro level: AI society creation
From a result of my research, I can see empowerment of young people through their engagement with AI/robots.
- About 90% believe decisions made by AI and robots should be discussed by human beings.
- About 70% want to use AI effectively and consider the use and regulation of AI/robot with others around the world.
- About 50% want to create a world where they co-exist with robots.
Moreover, I can see their high expectations: about 70% of young people are excited about the future of Japan in 2030!
