Upcoming events

Japan's Intelligence Reforms

Japan, long known as a ‘spy paradise’, is reconstructing its intelligence capabilities. In a narrow sense, this can be understood as the continuation of a gradual trend of Japan ridding itself of restrictions that limited the state’s role in national security over the post-war era. In a deeper sense, its implications have to do with the measure of the nation’s political health and the expression of its collective subconscious. In this seminar, Dr Philip Shetler-Jones will explain proposed legal and institutional changes, and what this says about the direction of Japanese society, its threat perceptions and the demands the current international environment makes on Japan.

AI in Democracy

In this webinar, Yuya Mineshima, a Member of Japan’s House of Representatives and of the Team Mirai political party, will explore how his party is using AI and digital technology to transform political participation in Japan. Professor Oliver Escobar from the University of Edinburgh will then share the UK perspective on how AI is reshaping democracy and public policy, exploring its potential to strengthen citizen participation and public involvement in policymaking. Finally, Professor Matt Ryan from the University of Southampton will offer a different perspective on how AI can support political deliberation, drawing on recent experiments and work with a Japanese AI-enabled platform.

AI Translation between Sign and Spoken Language

AI now translates between many spoken languages, but sign languages have been largely left behind. In this talk, Professor Richard Bowden traces how AI has learnt to recognise, translate and produce sign language from video. He will show how this work is reaching the real world through Signapse, a University of Surrey spin-out whose AI signers are already used in settings such as public transport. The talk will discuss UMCS, a new five-year UK–Japan research project funded by EPSRC and the Japan Science and Technology Agency, which focuses on natural conversations in British Sign Language and Japanese Sign Language.

Private View: つぐ、つむぐ。- Inherit, Imagine. -

Join us for the Private View of ‘つぐ、つむぐ。- Inherit, Imagine. -‘ at the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation.
This exhibition introduces two artists, Taihei Soejima and Yoko Imamura, who do not simply preserve the past, but transform it — connecting it to the future through contemporary modes of expression.

Artist-led Gallery Tour: つぐ、つむぐ。- Inherit, Imagine. -

Join us for a gallery tour of the duo exhibition, ‘つぐ、つむぐ。- Inherit, Imagine. -‘ , led by one of the artists, Taihei Soejima.

AI in Society

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence is already transforming our lives and society. AI is evolving at an astonishing pace, and this progress is expected to accelerate even further in the years ahead.

In this webinar, AI researcher Shota Imai from Japan Advanced Institute of Science & Technology Graduate School will explore the rapidly evolving frontier of artificial intelligence. He will discuss the current state of AI agents, whether AI could surpass human intelligence, what it will mean to be human in the age of AI, how AI may transform society and the world, and the potential risks associated with highly advanced AI.