Point of No Return: Japan and the Age of AI Robots

As much of the world wonders whether artificial intelligence poses a threat to human existence, Japan sees it as a possible solution to many of its problems. Are we at a point of no return with the onset of AI?

In Japan, the government, scientists and most of the population see AI and robots as a solution to a multitude of issues. The Japanese perception of these technologies is very different from the Western one, for reasons as diverse as the particular demographic needs of an increasingly aging society, the influence of manga and anime, or spiritual beliefs. But does everyone in Japan really believe that the future could be a utopia, where we will work less, live longer and merge with AI – or that AI might even help us conquer space?

In this episode, Point of No Return travels to Japan to interview a world-renowned android expert, Professor Hiroshi Ishiguro, who shares his vision of a near future where AI and androids help overcome limitations of the human body. We also show the experimental version of Hikari, a virtual couple made by Japanese company Gatebox using ChatGPT technology; introduce Rootpor – the first author to create a manga using only creative AI tools – and the first Buddhist android monk; and talk to Professor Takagi, a neuroscientist who, with the help of AI, is able to read minds.

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