2022.Oct.14

REPORTS

Report on the Visit to the Special Exhibition “You and Robots: What is it to be Human?” at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, Tokyo

On May 21, 2022, some members of the B’AI Global Forum visited the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan) in Odaiba, Tokyo, to see the special exhibition “You and Robots: What is it to be Human?”The special exhibition was supervised by Professor Osamu Sakura (Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies, The University of Tokyo) and Associate Professor Arisa Ema (Institute for Future Initiatives, The University of Tokyo), both of whom are our co-investigators, as well as Project Professor Yukie Nagai (International Research Center for Neurointelligence, Institutes for Advanced Study, The University of Tokyo), who is also involved in the Institute for AI and Beyond, which the B’AI Global Forum belongs to.

Describing the exhibit composition, there begins with an introductory exhibit that captures the history of robots from various angles, then continues to the main exhibit, which is divided into three zones: “Body,” “Mind,” and “Life.”

In the exhibit on the history of robots at the entrance, chronological tables representing the history of robots cover entire walls, and robots developed in the past are displayed. The chronology consists of not only what is directly related to robots, but also works of science fiction and animation that have influenced robot research and development, as well as the application of AI technology in recent years, revealing that this special exhibition regards “robots” in a very broad sense. Through the displays of actual robots, it can be seen that robot development, which initially began with the realization of bipedal walking and simple conversation, has progressed significantly in only the last 40 years or so.

Not only have robots become lighter and more curved in shape, but also their functions and range of applications have expanded from industrial use to nursing care, pets, guiding, music performance, and other uses.

The next exhibit, “Body,” shows how the pursuit of human body functions has influenced the development of robots. For example, like the way humans move their joints and muscles under the command of brain waves, robots have been designed to move smoothly through signals from “sensors.” Currently, researchers are studying not only robots for body extension to support weakened muscles due to disabilities, aging, etc., but also the possibility of expanding the range of physical functions by increasing the number of arms to four or adding a tail.

In the “Mind” exhibit, numerous so-called “pet robots” are on display, allowing visitors to enjoy “conversation” and “interaction” with them. On the other hand, there are some robots, which raise visitors questions why people’s minds are moved and what humanity is like: “weak robots” with imperfect functions and appearance, which were intentionally made to draw out communication with people or android robots that imitate even the smallest habits, giving them an uncanny.

The final exhibit, “Life,” shows the use of various robots in the medical field and poses a significant question of how we should face the development of technology that could change the nature of life and even our sense of values. In other words, while technological development supports our health and lives, we live in a world where our experiences, feelings, and knowledge remain as data even after our physical death. Using those data, we may continue to work even after death, or new artistic pieces may be created by utilizing the data of artists and writers who have already passed away. Visitors will leave the exhibit confronted with these ethical questions, as with well as how the future of humans and robots should look like.

During the discussion that followed, the intentions of the project were first explained by the staff of Miraikan. This special exhibition is originally planned by Miraikan and is intended to encourage visitors to think about “What is it to be human?” and to think together how we can make a society where people live happily together, utilizing not only robots but also various kinds of science and technology.

While exchanging impressions of the exhibition, we discussed primarily three points of contention: The first was the ingenuity of the museum’s exhibit in response to changing social perceptions, the second was the social context reflected in the shape of the robot, and the third was the challenge of countering the power behind the development of science and technology.

 

1　Changes of Social Perceptions and Museum Exhibits

 

Miraikan held a special exhibition on robots when it opened in 2001. “You and Robots” is the first special exhibition focusing exclusively on robots since that time and that 130 robots have been collected on such a large scale. The social situation and conceptual approach to displaying robots have also changed compared to those at the time of the museum’s opening. For example, unlike those days when a robot walking on two feet was a surprise, the viewpoint of today’s society has shifted to how robots should be used in society. The title of this exhibition, “You and Robots,” was chosen to express how we would like to associate with robots.

Several measures to realize such a concept as an exhibition were also shared with us. These include: collecting social and pet robots rather than industrial robots to encourage people to think about such things; introducing related technologies such as AI and VR to broaden the definition of robots; and showing items such as digital clones that do not have a physical existence.

With regard to having included AI, there was a mention related to the significance of a museum space: Behind the technological development of AI lies strong entertainment and commercial pressures, and there is danger that it will advance without attention. It was impressive to hear the opinion that a museum is a place where people can stop and reconsider. Moreover, another point that we might all agree with was that they do not necessarily want people to have a positive vision of the future, nor do they advocate a robot-symbiotic society. Some people may want to keep distance from such technologies; therefore, this exhibition featured a video provided by the French National Museum of Natural History as an opportunity to consider how not to exclude such people from society, as well as posing questions at crucial points in the exhibition.

 

２　The Social Context Reflected on the Shape of the Robot－Gender and Humanoid in Japan

 

Regarding the shape of robots, two major points were discussed. One issue is gender, which is reflected in the shape of robots, and another is why the humanoid type is adopted even though it might be unnecessary if pursuing better functions.

There is already quite a lot of arguments about the shape of humanoid robot in relation to gender. We both recognized that development processes are overwhelmingly male-dominated and that Japanese society’s gender gap is reflected in science and technology like a mirror.

In the exhibition, some robots are questionable from this point of view: robots that perform tasks close to housekeeping, whose shape reflects gender by wearing skirts, and virtual concierges as AI Sakura-san, whose job is like a reproduction of the sexual segregation of labor. However, the challenge to consider gender hidden in such shapes seems to be common with the B’AI Global Forum.

Regarding the relationship between the pursuit of functional aspects and the desire for a humanoid form, the discussion proceeded with the question of why it is necessary to put a head on it. To sum up, it was concluded that interaction with humans is a determining factor in whether or not a robot should have a human-like head, whereas robots in factories that need no human contact are usually headless.

Furthermore, the influence of developers’ preconceptions was also mentioned. In the shape of the robot, we see certain similarities to the pictures in animations and cartoons that prevailed in the generation of developers. The “weak robot,” whose functions were deliberately made imperfect to encourage communication, also reminds us of characters from Hayao Miyazaki’s animations.

 

３　The Challenge to the Power behind the Development of Science and Technology

 

As the discussion of robot shapes deepened, we came across not only the perception of robots in Japan compared with it in Western countries, but also the underlying unique characteristics of the Japanese society. To the question of whether the development of robots with reduced functions, like “weak robots,” can be seen in other countries as well, one of the participants commented that, in other countries, robots are basically made stronger, so the idea of making them weaker is not seen at the present time.

Someone suggested that a weak robot may be able to change the intolerance of Japanese society, in which people are obliged to be superior to others and, in a sense, to be intolerant of others. In other words, by giving them something to do, they may be able to experience happiness and become more generous to others.

Some pointed out that the lack of “cute” robots in other countries is probably due to military funding being used for the purpose of their development. As seen in the exhibit, in Japan, industrial companies have been responsible for the development of robots. The transition from bipedal robots by the automobile industry, to pet robots by the manufacturing industry, and then to emotion-recognizing robots by the mobile telecommunications industry, overlaps with the shift in Japan’s major industries. Moreover, as the purpose of robot development, they actively mention peaceful use, such as medical applications and utilization in times of disaster and reconstruction.

Discussions on the military use of the latest technologies, including AI, are becoming increasingly significant these days. In response to this trend, what should Japan do? Although military applications are not mentioned in this special exhibition “You and Robots,” this is undoubtedly the most serious issue that awaits us in the future of current technological development. The purpose of the exhibition was to think together about how to create a mutually happy society, not only through robots, but also through various science and technology. Continuing this discussion with many people is not limited to looking back at the development of robots in Japan under the concept of “peaceful use” and considering the ways in which the development of science and technology brings benefits. It also means seeking a path that does not result in war, which would destroy the happiness of many people.