April 30, 2026
TOKYO – The coexistence of AI and humans was discussed by experts on the second day of SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026, an event bringing together startups from Japan and abroad, at Koto Ward, Tokyo, on Tuesday.
Speakers at talk sessions on the day included University of Tokyo Prof. Yutaka Matsuo, a leading AI researcher, and University of Osaka Prof. Hiroshi Ishiguro, a robotics engineer known for his research on androids.
Matsuo took part in a session themed on the vision of university spin-off startups.
“Sooner or later, there will be versatile AI possessing intelligence on par with humans,” he said, adding that such AI should be used in a way that is beneficial to society.
So far, 42 startups have developed from Matsuo’s research lab.
“Startups emerging from universities will radically change society,” he said. “I’d like to aim for 100 startups per year.”
Ishiguro spoke at a session titled, “AI and Robots that Understand People Will Transform the Future of Hospitality.”
“Currently, it’s still difficult for AI to feel empathy for others,” he said. “There are possibilities that something with human-like feelings will be created in the future.”
As for role division between robots and humans, he said, “If robots show up on the street and conduct experiments time and again, we’ll be able to see the superiority of both humans and robots.”