About NII

KUROHASHI, Sadao
Director-General, National Institute of Informatics
Inter-University Research Institute Corporation
Research Organization of Information and Systems

A Future Created by AI and Humans
── Demanding a Shift from Competition to Collaboration

As of 2025, we find ourselves truly at the forefront of technological innovation. In particular, artificial intelligence (AI) is evolving rapidly, and its technological advancements are impacting every aspect of our lives. AI technology is unlocking new possibilities across all fields, from industry to medicine, education, and everyday decision-making. However, the effects of such innovation are not always predictable. As AI becomes increasingly widespread and integrated into society, we must tackle the underlying ethical and social issues, not simply enjoy the convenience of the technology.

At a recent committee meeting on intellectual property, a researcher studying globally competitive foods and seeds remarked that, "(While intellectual property strategy is important,) in the end, we aspire toward a world where everyone all over the world has delicious food to eat. "This comment once again brought to mind the idea of contributing to society, which is our starting point as researchers. We need to remind ourselves that the goal of researchers is not merely the pursuit of profit, but also the making of a better society. This calls on us to envision our ideal future and work toward this ideal as one, just like the song by John Lennon, "IMAGINE."

Rapid advancements in AI technology are leading to a society where AI and humans increasingly coexist together. This is exactly why we need to shift from our current "competition" focused society to a society centered on "collaboration," transitioning from a society that exclusively pursues profit to one that aims for the sharing of knowledge. This shift must be a cultural and ethical choice for society as a whole.

We should dedicate ourselves to building a better future by leveraging the wisdom and experience gained in our respective areas of expertise to supplement each other's fields. This perspective is also shared by advocates of open science. There is frequent discussion about how to incentivize researchers to promote open science. However, researchers should have a stronger awareness of contributing to society from the very beginning. By fostering a culture of sharing knowledge across all humanity and advancing together, we can make the future that AI and humans build together a brilliant one. Perhaps this is too idealistic. To borrow the words of John Lennon's "IMAGINE.": "You may say I'm a dreamer" but "I hope someday you'll join us and the world will be as one" The future is still far ahead, but I am convinced that if we work together as one, then we are sure to usher in a wonderful age.

*This text was created by inputting 400 or so characters as notes into a 172-billion parameter LLM developed by the NII Research and Development Center for Large Language Models and making minor edits to the results (translation from Japanese to English was done by a human).

Reference
LENNON, John, and Yoko ONO. "IMAGINE." JOHN LENNON [Official Web Site], www.johnlennon.com/news/imagine-all-the- peopleliving- life-in-peace/. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.