Explore the World Expo: Significance of the Event / Experience Life With AI-Powered Robots; Exhibition Will Display Machines Capable of Conversing And Doing Dangerous Jobs

By Yukiho Takaichi and Takeru Tsuzuki / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers

7:00 JST, December 26, 2024

This is the fifth installment of a series on the significance of the World Expo.

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“What kind of alcohol do you usually drink?” said the android. It was “Nikola,” a robot developed by Riken research organization. Michihiko Minoh, 68, who leads the development team, replied, “I like wine. Would you like to try some?” Nikola raised an eyebrow and said, “I don’t like the smell of alcohol.”

Nikola is equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) and is capable of natural conversation. Depending on its conversation partner’s facial expression and the content of the conversation, it can create facial expressions, including displaying happiness and surprise. Pneumatic motors move its silicone skin, and it can even blink.

The development team is aiming to develop a robot that supports humans while functioning autonomously like a human. In addition to Nikola, which specializes in conversing with people, Riken will unveil Indy, which can move around autonomously, and Aetro, which a person can attach to their body to help them move, at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo.

“If there are robots that can accompany people, those people will be able to have peace of mind and live happily even if they grow old and become alone,” said Minoh. “We want Expo visitors to imagine what life will be like in 2050.”

Recent advances in AI have led to dramatic improvements in what robots are capable of. Many robots equipped with cutting-edge AI will be on display at the Expo, which aims to serve as a testing ground for future society.

The signature pavilion, produced by Osaka University Prof. Hiroshi Ishiguro, will display about 50 robots, allowing visitors to get a glimpse of a future society in which they will be surrounded by robots. “I want to show what robots, AI and [remotely controlled] avatars will look like 50 years from now when they are no longer unusual,” said Ishiguro.

On the other hand, AI could also be a threat to mankind. Some predict that “the singularity,” in which AI surpasses human capabilities, will arrive in 2045, and there is a growing movement to regulate AI, particularly in the European Union.

“I wonder if robots that can read human emotions will be allowed to do so under European regulations,” said Minoh. “We hope to see discussions like that at the Expo.”

The spread of AI could even lead to the revival of Japanese manufacturing. “Japan came late to AI development, but its robot drive technology is strong,” said Yutaka Matsuo, 49, a professor at the University of Tokyo known as one of the leading AI researchers. “If flexible control of robots by generative AI can be realized, Japan will be able to develop a new market.”

Man-Machine Synergy Effectors, Inc. in Kusatsu, Shiga Prefecture, a start-up company established at Ritsumeikan University, will exhibit a humanoid worker robot. One of the characteristics of this robot is that the weight and physical resistance of objects it holds are instantly transmitted to the hands of the operator, who is nearby and holding the control stick. The robot is expected to be used for work in dangerously high places and on construction sites, and the company aims to have it began doing actual work in the 2030s.

The use of AI will reduce the burden on the operator and make the robot easier to use. Hakase Kanaoka, president of the company, said, “We want to show that Japan continues to lead the way in robotics technology.”