Kanato Takeuchi さん

Kanato Takeuchi, Server Team / Workshop Team

Second-year master’s student, School of Fundamental Science and Technology, Graduate School of Science and Technology

Introduction

◆ Member of AIC’s Server Team and Workshop Team

I am part of the team that manages AIC’S GPU servers. We devise how to publicize computing resources, and we also build and manage the service. One of the flagship services we provide currently is the JupyterHub service. Due to the system’s age, we at AIC are working on a large-scale revision project to further improve its usability.
For the workshop team, I have been in charge of the AIC workshops “Introduction to Machine Learning,” “Befriending the Black Screen,” and “Build and Destroy! Linux Server Workshop.”

◆ Research at Keio and other activities

In the laboratory, I am currently researching multi-agent simulation for pedestrians.
In addition to my research, I have been involved in building and managing internal infrastructures for small and medium-sized companies and leading networking activities at events.

What kind of activities do you do at AIC?

I mainly manage servers owned by AIC. AIC has many computing resources and we build and manage the environment that allows students learning about and researching AI to make effective use of them.

One recent activity that I have been quite passionate about has been building a new virtualization infrastructure using OpenStack and Kubernetes. We have limited computing resources and manpower on our server team. Therefore, we are seeking to create a modernized server environment to provide a greater amount of computing resources in a more efficient manner.

As a member of the workshop team, I have also been an instructor at workshops such as “Introduction to Machine Learning,” “Befriending the Black Screen,” and “Build and Destroy! Linux Server Workshop.” I was in charge of “Python + Machine Learning” during the “AIC Days” event for students from affiliated schools held over the summer vacation.

How did you come to work with AIC?

I myself have been a student of AIC’s on-demand lectures since my first year as an undergraduate and have been aware of their activities. It just happened that an acquaintance introduced me to an on-demand lecture by AIC called “Introduction to Machine Learning,” where I was involved in its development. I have been engaged in AIC activities ever since. I started as a workshop instructor, and since my first year as a master’s student, I have been involved with the server team’s activities, which were what interested me in the beginning.

What do you find appealing about AIC?

One of its biggest strengths is that it provides an excellent environment where highly motivated students come together. I feel that, overall, students who have the drive to create something new on their own are actually quite rare. At AIC, however, many students are proactively engaged in a wide range of activities. For those who aspire to launch startups, develop services, or pursue other new initiatives in the future, AIC offers a stimulating and inspiring place to learn and grow.

What AIC events and workshops would you recommend?

I recommend the AIC Career Lab for students who are thinking about job hunting. I believe that this is a unique opportunity to speak directly with professionals who are active in their respective industries and to learn about the “real world” of those fields. Picturing how you would like to contribute to society through face-to-face Q&A sessions with them will directly tie into a successful job search.

I was also in charge of “Build and Destroy! Linux Server Workshop.” This is recommended for anyone interested in Linux, not just server administrators.

Quite a lot of people have seen us on X

What are your activities outside of AIC?

I am involved in activities related to Linux. I study and experiment with the Linux kernel as well as Linux distributions such as Ubuntu and CentOS. I also share Linux-related content on YouTube and distribute a book about Linux at the Tech Book Festival.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PC-xl2rs

Technical book:https://techbookfest.org/product/jPAnsVW5SjrbhMmiaVZrsg?productVariantID=jD7zusGT4BdZhDDbrpA5Nu

Could you tell us about your vision for the future?

In the future, I would like to be involved in building systems that support people taking on challenges in the information society. I have often seen situations in research labs and companies where valuable resources exist but are not fully utilized.  For example, developing AI requires computing infrastructure such as GPUs, but it is not easy for researchers or developers to build and manage GPU servers on their own. This burden is especially heavy for small research labs and startups with limited personnel.

I am interested in improving these conditions, no matter how small my contribution may be, to provide an environment where people who are taking on challenges can focus on their core work.  One initiative born from this motivation is the “Build and Destroy! Linux Server Workshop”. Through this program, I hope participants can gain a solid foundation and use it as a stepping stone for their future activities.
Going forward, I would like to continue supporting people who are willing to take on new challenges, in whatever ways I can.

Workshop led by Takeuchi