Moonshot Trip for a Week to Tokyo
Reflections about Robots, Avatars and Personal AI
Last week, I had the incredible opportunity to immerse myself in the bustling metropolis of Tokyo (“the capital of the east”). This captivating city, home to over 35 million individuals encompassing businessmen, entrepreneurs, SME business owners, students, academics, and people from diverse backgrounds, proved to be a truly fascinating destination.
In this post, I am thrilled to take a moment and share with you several highlights and achievements from my exhilarating week in Tokyo:
- I was fascinated by how avatars, robots, and personal AI are becoming ubiquitous, and there are many projects that are happening in Tokyo/Japan in this domain;
- I’ll recap some of the impactful meetings with our partners at Prifina, exploring how sensor technologies are gaining momentum and empowering us in our everyday lives;
- Some fun ideas and takeaways from meetings and events with amazing founders, including the co-founder of Airbnb; and
- I’ll share some exciting scientific and cultural connections I forged, bridging the cities of Tokyo, San Francisco, and Vilnius.
Robots, Avatars and Personal AI Assistants
The idea to visit Tokyo was born when I received an invitation from Prof. S. Kozuka (Gakushuin University) to join the Moonshot Project and study the legal implications of avatars, robots, and personal AI assistants.
I feel enormously privileged because this is perhaps the largest scientific project I have ever participated in: 16 universities and many more research labs, as well as public and private organizations, are joining forces to study the technological, social, economic and legal implications of avatars, robots and personal AI.
With Professor Kozuka and some other esteemed legal experts, we will be developing a legal instrument that should set the legal framework for avatars and personal AI assistants. There are many legal questions that should be answered:
- Should robots, avatars and personal AI assistants/coaches have an independent legal personality? If so, in what situations?
- Who should be responsible for damage caused by robots, avatars, and personal AI assistants?
- Should states regulate the position of avatars, robots and personal AI assistants in legal systems, or should it be left to private companies — platform providers?
- Is it possible to agree on an international consensus on how to treat these issues? If so, is it desirable to adopt an international treaty? A soft-law instrument?
Field experiment: Moonshot team visit robotic avatar cafe in Tokyo
Embarking on my Moonshot project journey, some Moonshot legal team members were invited by Prof. Kozuka and Prof. Shimpo to explore the cutting-edge world of robotics at a captivating avatar cafe. This extraordinary establishment not showcased the remarkable advancements in technology.
As I stepped into the cafe, I was greeted by a Robot that welcomed me and engaged in a conversation. We paid for our visit in advance and were seated.
The whole idea of this coffee shop is to expand the opportunities for people, in this case, people with disabilities. As we sat at the table, we were greeted by a waiter who happened to be a celebrated individual with a disability, using a wheelchair. Our communication took only by voice, and we had a robot on the table who moved as we interacted with the waiter sitting in his own home.
The “culinary journey” continued as the food was served by delivery robots, gliding effortlessly from the kitchen to our tables. These futuristic companions flawlessly executed their tasks — delivered our drinks and Japanese curry — showcasing the opportunities that robotics bring to the hospitality industry. It was quite an enchanting sight, one that left me marveling at the possibilities and the seamless integration of technology into our daily lives.
However, the true highlight of this experience came when it was time for dessert. A robotic arm took center stage, trying to adorn the cakes with puffy cream and placing some berries following the instructions given by each restaurant patron. The precision and artistry were clearly missing, but we could imagine that such a robotic assistant could also be breathtaking.
We discussed the things that could go wrong and possible legal problems. We also understood that user experience was not the point — it was about the opportunities to help people with disabilities engage in more meaningful work and integrate them into society. And yes, we saw the potential for innovation in culinary arts and the limitless possibilities for collaboration between humans and machines.
Leaving the cafe, I felt inspired and invigorated. It was a great starting point as we began the Moonshot project with much passion and determination. If you are in Tokyo, you can visit the cafe as well.
My Presentation to the Moonshot Project Members
I also made a presentation about the current developments in Silicon Valley, a human-centric, user-held data model developed by our company Prifina, and three possible approaches to data portability.
You can find this presentation here.
Partner Meetings: Sensorization of Everything
While in Tokyo, I had an opportunity to meet some of our partners. For example, I thoroughly enjoyed meeting Aaron and the team from Ichijiku. Together with Prifina, we are adding sensors to the luxury Jackets produced by Ichijiku. Those sensors will measure all kinds of things — and we will make a separate announcement about this partnership very soon.
I also met a partner company that is making sensorized silk and polyester material that could be used in making various next-gen clothes for exercise, fitness and leisure.
What would you speak to your exclusive evening jacket or yoga pants about your wellness and wellbeing based on your data? It is clear that in the future, our experience with sensorized with products will be multimodal: we will be able to talk, text, and communicate in various different ways with our data.
While in Tokyo, I experienced several “aha” moments about people’s approaches to data and privacy:
- Mindful Wellbeing. People care about their health and wellbeing. Compared to the last time I was in Tokyo, I noticed a how much more people are smart fitness trackers and really try to live a healthier and happier life. Data is a powerful tool to track our wellbeing.
Take a look at the image above where people are nudged to take stairs instead the escalator: how many calories are burn with every step! - Privacy lesson #1: In Japan, people do not worry much about the data collected by service providers through various apps, so long as such (personal/private) data is securely stored and processed.
- Privacy lesson #2: Privacy is very practical — look at the image of a background noise button I noticed in a smart toiled room. Lesson: when people have practical tools that help them enjoy more privacy, they will use them. People are also willing to pay for greater privacy.
Unveiling the Secrets of Startups: Between Tokyo and Silicon Valley
During my one-week whirlwind trip to Tokyo, I had the incredible fortune of reconnecting with old friends and forging new connections within the vibrant entrepreneurial community.
Among the many memorable moments, there was one particular event that stood out — a clandestine gathering where I had the privilege of hearing the captivating birth story of AirBNB. AirBNB’s co-founder Nathan Blecharczyk shared invaluable insights into the core elements that propelled their success.
The main takeaway from Nathan’s journey with his co-founders at AirBNB was crystal clear: the key to a startup’s success lies in the extraordinary individuals that comprise its team, the team’s resilience, determination, and innovative thinking.
There is one more experience I want to share with you from my conversations about the innovation ecosystem in Tokyo. It is true that lots of innovation is happening in Japan, and Tokyo is truly the hub of scientific and technological breakthroughs.
But the following dialogue nicely summarized to differences between Silicon Valley and Tokyo:
PJ: Where do you find events about machine learning, data, and AI?
Tokyo-based founder: I go to San Francisco.
Academic and Cultural Ties
This trip was exceptionally successful because I forged new relationships with top universities in Tokyo (Gakushuin University and Keio University): we agreed to sign partnership agreements with my Alma Mater Vilnius University. Looking forward to these new Moonshot in Science opportunities.¸
