Couger, Ludens and new Virtual Human Agent (VHA) technology appear on NHK Educational TV program “What is human?”
How will AI and virtual assistants change our work?
Couger CEO Atsushi Ishii appeared as a technical specialist on the program “What is Human? A Super Introductory Course to AI” broadcast by Japan’s national broadcaster, NHK. What is Human? is an educational entertainment program that explores the definition of being human by looking at the latest applications of AI and discussing trending AI-related topics.
AI, work and what it means to be human
The program featuring Couger’s Atsushi Ishii examined the intersection of AI, work and what it means to be human. One popular claim when it comes to work and AI comes from the University of Oxford’s Professor Osborne. He has previously stated that within the next 10 to 20 years, about 47 percent of US jobs risk being replaced by automation. Osborne is frequently cited by media, leading to ubiquitous articles focusing on how AI will steal our jobs with titles like “human jobs will be snatched up by AI”. If that is the case, then what does it mean for humans, who, to some extent, are defined by their roles and functions in society?
A limited number of AI systems may well end up taking over jobs from humans. Couger’s Virtual Human Agent (VHA) might also — at least initially — lead to such fears. However, in reality, VHAs, which are part of an ecosystem Couger refers to as Ludens, illustrate why AI systems are going to be collaborative partners and not competitors. One core reason is that AI systems, including human-like AIs, excel at very different skills than humans do. It is obvious that our memory capacity is in some ways inferior to that of a smartphone with a +100GB data capacity. However, it is equally evident that, unlike an AI that will keep doing what it’s doing even in the case of fire, human beings can accurately make judgments relating to changing circumstances and react accordingly. We are also incredibly good at transferring existing knowledge and s kills to new situations; both things that AIs are very poor at, meaning we can claim superiority over AI in such areas.
In this way, the advancement of technology is giving humans a chance to reflect on what it means to be human. To look at what we are good at — and why. Advanced AI-powered systems like VHAs also provide a multitude of opportunities for examining and changing how we live our lives, work and interact in the 21st century. The purpose of such systems is not to replace us but to make life easier, more enjoyable and give us more time to focus on the things we are passionate about.
Human evolution and the acquisition of facial expressions and gestures
In the TV program, Mr. Hideki Endo, who specializes in comparative morphology, explained: “why among all living creatures, humans were able to evolve the way they did.”
The program also stresses why it is vital for VHAs to be able to make and understand facial expressions and gestures. These abilities play a central part in bringing technology, and the interaction with technology, closer to humans instead of asking humans to change in order to interact with technology. Secondly, by developing systems such as VHAs, we open up possibilities for both more nuanced and free communication with technology.
Couger believes that the presence of AI-powered agents that connect humans and technology is vital to IoT-based M2M (Machine to Machine) technology and with it, the world of automation. With the arrival of 5G internet that will be able to download two hours of movies in three seconds, the amount and speed of data transfer will exceed the processing power of humans. In the near future, our infrastructure, from our houses and homes to the places we shop and go to work, will be transformed by 5G, IoT and AI.
VHA will be our connection to and interpreter for this brave new world of technology, and it is important that the translation is reliable. That is why much of the back-end data handling system for VHAs builds on blockchain technology.
