On May 30, we had the honor to host a workshop on “Friendship with AI” at the Swiss Pavilion, Expo 2025 in Osaka, organized by Swissnex Japan.
Hirotaka Osawa from Keio University kicked-off with a keynote speech, where he introduced the audience to the world of co-creating robots and science fiction prototpying.
Then, we had Celia Spoden and Nicole M Mueller from German Institute for Japanese Studies (DIJ) Tokyo, who delivered presentations on “Avator robots for people with disabilities” and “Japanese metaverse imaginaries”, respectively, offering unique insights using their social science backgrounds.
The ZHAW hosts Elke Brucker-Kley, Thomas Keller and Isabelle Stutz presented results of the SNSF Agora project “Friendship with AI” taking the audience on a deep dive into the immersive SciFi Prototyping method. The VR scenario was transformed into a Japanese version for that special occasion.
Finally, Megumi Takada from GROOVE X presented LOVOT, their emtional robot product that has found its way into more than 15’000 households in Japan based on its sophisticated design and bonding behaviours.
Participants had the opportunity to network while experiencing the “Friendship with AI” VR scenario and LOVOT and exchanging opinions. Japanese and Swiss researchers had the opportunity to discuss their perceptions on AI companionship, the impact on human wellbeing and potential future collaborations in the frame of interdisciplinary cross-cultural research projects.
Beyond the workshop, the Swiss research team had the opportunity to visit several Japanese universitites to identify shared interests of research.
The concluding highlight was a visit at Saikyo Junior High School in Kyoto. The researchers were welcomed with a beautifully orchestrated traditional Japanese tea ceremony and introduction to Japanese culture. The researchers then had the opportunity to continue the dialogue in an engaging workshop where the VR prototype was used as a springboard for discussion. The students’ fresh perspectives prompted reflection on the opportunites and risks of building emotional relationships with intelligent machines. Looking back at the workshops in Switzerland it became clear that both Swiss and Japanese teenagers have a strong interest to actively shape their relation with AI .
