【Activity Report】AIC Conference 2024 Winter Edition

On Saturday, December 7, AIC held the “AIC Conference 2024 Winter Edition” at the AIC Lounge located in the Kyoseikan Collaboration Complex on Hiyoshi Campus. The AIC Conference, which completed its third iteration this December, was started in 2022 and is held annually to gather and present research on AI being conducted in various faculties across Keio University. The Winter Edition was attended by a diverse audience, ranging from high school students at Keio affiliated schools to working professionals. At this event, the Keio AI Center (hereafter “KAI Center”), which was launched this September, introduced its initiatives. Doctoral students participating in “Keio-BOOST,” a next-generation program to foster professional talent in AI, also delivered a presentation on AI research.

The conference kicked off with opening remarks by Professor Takahiro Yakoh, AIC representative and professor at the Graduate School of System Design and Management. In his address, he reflected on the progress of AIC’s activities and past conferences, and highlighted the importance of exposing Keio students to cutting-edge research, such as generative AI. He also mentioned that the Nobel Prizes in Physics and Chemistry 2024 were awarded for the first time to researchers in the field of AI, and emphasized the importance of expanding the range of practical AI research and education.

Following that, Professor Komei Sugiura from the Faculty of Science and Technology, who also serves as director of KAI Center, presented an overview of the center. KAI Center is expected to serve as a base for multidisciplinary collaboration between Keio University and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). Both sides inked an agreement on a joint research project in April 2024. Director Sugiura stated that this project will not only enhance the quality and diversity of research at both Keio and CMU, but will also contribute to improving their international competitiveness in the field of AI.

This was followed by a guest lecture by Masaru Tomita, director of Tsuruoka Science Park. During his lecture, which was based on the theme “What AI is Incapable of: Datsu Yūtōsei no Susume,” Tomita introduced various cases of breakthroughs in research and business. In particular, the case study on Spiber Inc.’s development of artificial spider silk, Brewed Protein️, garnered significant interest from students.
In the latter half of the lecture, the focus was on AI and biotechnology where he shared his view that the things AI are incapable of are precisely what we are capable of by virtue of the fact that we are human. He then concluded his lecture with the phrase, “Muchū wa doryoku ni masaru” (lit. dedication is superior to exertion). Tomita’s speech left a deep impression on many students, spurring them on to push forward with their research.

The afternoon session featured presentations from eight Keio students, mostly doctoral students from Keio-BOOST, where they spoke about their research. During the Q&A which followed, participants enthusiastically posed questions, leading to an engaging discussion. A third-year student from Keio Senior High School gave his thoughts on the event, stating, “The presentation on the reasoning ability of AI was very interesting. I hope that AIC will continue to provide opportunities to interact with people from diverse backgrounds.”

During the reception after the conference, students and working professionals alike engaged in a lively discussion, exchanging ideas and constructive opinions about the future of generative AI and AIC. With this, the AIC Conference 2024 Winter Edition officially concluded. We would like to express our gratitude to all the participants.