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LIFESTYLE

TALK 3/3

A new century has begun where people convey messages to the future going beyond time and space: TETSUYA MIZUGUCHI

March 18, 2016

This is part three of a three-part conversation on future technologies and lifestyle between Tetsuya Mizuguchi, a creator involved in various activities such as games, music, and moving images on a global scale and specially appointed professor at Keio Media Design in the graduate school of Keio University, and Ricoh researcher, Kensuke Masuda. In this last installment, they discuss passionately about everything from the predictions on future 21st century technologies to the synergy between human desire and technology, and go even further on the future of artificial intelligence and work.

In the 21st century what people want will begin to go beyond time

  • Masuda

    Recently I’ve been interested in technology that brings deceased people’s voices and photographs back by analyzing them through artificial intelligence as 3D avatars as if existing. It is incredible technology that allows for conversations to take place that is the same as when the people were living. However, the notion of pre-established harmony created based on the past data cannot be wiped out. And in that sense, that made me think that in order to live, we must attach importance to that kind of experience that can only be had at that time in that space.

  • Mizuguchi

    I think that is an extremely important keyword. In the 20th century, the development of transportation technology allowed one to go beyond the restrictions of space, whereas in a broader sense, the 21st century will allow one to surpass the restrictions of time. This is not only about being able to execute a time machine, this is about for example, after decades being able to send your message to someone. The idea of what to convey to the future has already begun, and I believe this human desire will continue to expand.

  • Masuda

    Like what I was previously talking about, this is not the case where a third person re-creates a message but where you are able to leave behind your thoughts.

  • Mizuguchi

    That’s right. For example, even if you say you want to leave Natsume Soseki’s(A Japanese novelist) message for the future, is that message the actual desire of what Soseki wanted, or the surrounding people or the people of the future who want that for a Soseki restoration. The content would be completely different. A message that is full of passion from Soseki himself, and Soseki’s passion that is made by unrelated people for who it is being made merely because it is possible technologically will create completely different value.

  • Masuda

    If it is not Soseki himself, the person who wishes to properly leave behind the will of Soseki must develop technology including an idea of raising Soseki in the modern age.

  • Mizuguchi

    What you say is exactly right. When you think of human beings at the center, if it is something not desired by humans, no matter what incredible technology it is, it naturally dies out. The can do of technology and the wants of humans are completely different. In media design, we consider how human desire circulates to produce a positive chemical reaction. Whether it’s a product with a shape or service that cannot be seen, it is the same. As mentioned earlier, what desires do humans have in regard to time and space and additionally if you apply factorization to hidden desires, you can see its nature.

Left: Kensuke Masuda, Strategy Planning Section, Research & Development Planning Department, Institute of Future Technology, Ricoh Co., Ltd. Right: Tetsuya Mizuguchi, Media Designer

The merging of VR and AR with music and the development of artificial intelligence extends the possibility of a new type of happiness.

  • Masuda

    If we talk about the points of memory and recording, just in the same way as moving pictures and photographs, music has the ability to awaken and trigger memories. For example, during my university years, there was a video I took with some music attached to it and I distributed that to friends. Even now after ten years have passed, and we go together for karaoke, when that song comes on, memories from that period are revived.

  • Mizuguchi

    Yes I understand that quite well. I think there will be more of those types of experiences using VR and AR. For example, being busy with work, it’s just not quite possible to practice with the band.

  • Masuda

    Yes it’s hard to make time for practice.

  • Mizuguchi

    If you have VR and AR, it is possible for each member to be connected even if they are in different locations. This type of experience will most certainly make people happy. Something such as getting together again with those members could be realized easily.

  • Masuda

    If it is about tuning the instruments, that could be done over a telephone line. But accompanying the music with the video would bring the feelings in the past up more clearly.

  • Mizuguchi

    Music is tied deeply to memory, to things such as the emotions of that time and the feeling of the era. When you hear a song that evokes memories, it encourages you and you become more cheerful and I think that when VR and AR are tied to past experiences that are associated with music, it is evident that many more people will become happy.

  • Masuda

    On the one hand, it is said the evolution of technology and the development of artificial intelligence will result in sixty percent of human jobs disappearing. However, I think it is OK to delegate the jobs to machines if they are capable of doing the work. This is something I learned in a project implementing ICT to agriculture. If we can realize mass production of high value added crops through the power of artificial intelligence, mankind can take another new step. That is why I think that the joy of identifying what to do next is increasing.

  • Mizuguchi

    I am exactly the same. Many modern jobs are mechanical and stressful and if that stress can be released, people can move in a positive direction. In the beginning, I think there will be various problems, but the future will be most definitely where you feel that ‘after all, I’ve become happy’.

PROFILE

  • Tetsuya Mizuguchi

    Tetsuya MizuguchiMedia Designer / Project Professor, Keio University Graduate School of media Design; Founder, Resonair / CEO, Enhance Games, Inc.

    Involved in video games, music, moving images and application design, Mizuguchi continues with a synesthesia approach in his creative activities. In 2001, Mizuguchi released ‘Rez’. After that, ‘Lumines’ (2004), and then ‘Child of Eden’ (2010), a game that creates the possibility of a synesthesia experience through using Kinect like a conductor. Mizuguchi expanded the VR of ‘Rez’ in ‘Rez Infinite’ (2016) and continues to embark upon highly creative works. In 2006, Mizuguchi was chosen as one of the fifty people for the ‘Digital 50’ (World Digital Innovators 50 individuals), which is produced jointly by the Producers Guild of America (PGA) and the Hollywood Reporter magazine.

  • Kensuke Masuda

    Kensuke MasudaStrategy Planning Section, Research & Development Planning Department, Institute of Future Technology, Ricoh Co., Ltd.

    Born in Tokyo in 1981, Kensuke Masuda joined Ricoh in 2006 after completing a degree from the Graduate School of Science and Engineering at Keio University. His university research was involved in using lasers in the development of a cancer treatment and after joining Ricoh, Masuda was engaged in the development of optical systems for copiers. From 2011 he participated as an initial development member for RICOH THETA and is the leader of both optical system development and patent promotions. Subsequently, Masuda has undertaken the development of new businesses in various fields and presently is formulating strategy for all research laboratories.

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  • TALK 3/3

    A new century has begun where people convey messages to the future going beyond time and space: TETSUYA MIZUGUCHI

    A new century has begun where people convey messages to the future going beyond time and space: TETSUYA MIZUGUCHI

Theme

  • archive

    WORK PLACE

    icon HIDEAKI SENA

    HIDEAKI SENA

  • archive

    WORK STYLE

    icon MASAMI YUKI

    MASAMI YUKI

  • archive

    COMMUNICATION

    icon CHIYOMARU SHIKURA

    CHIYOMARU SHIKURA

  • OFFICE DEVICE

    MITSUO ISO

  • WORK PLACE

    TOH ENJOE

  • EDUCATION

    KATSUIE SHIBATA

  • INTERFACE

    TAKASHI KURATA

  • LIFESTYLE

    TETSUYA MIZUGUCHI