Keynote
We will host four keynote speakers from Japan and abroad. Spanning human augmentation, neuroscience, and robotics, their talks will explore how to further advance the field of human augmentation. Details of the keynote speaker will be released in due course.
Human-AI Integration
Prof. Jun Rekimoto
While traditional HCI (Human-Computer Interaction) is a research field that focuses on the interface between humans and machines, I advocate for Human Augmentation—humans enhanced by technology. The scope of augmentation extends beyond intellectual enhancement to encompass sensory, cognitive, physical, and existential dimensions. This augmentation extends beyond individual humans to develop into a future society called IoA (Internet of Abilities), where people and technology merge on networks and their capabilities are complementarity enhanced, leading to a world of Human-AI Integration where AI becomes integrated with human abilities. I will introduce examples such as silent speech, which enables communication without vocalization, and skill transmission systems where human vision merges with real-world agents, and discuss the future relationship between humans and technology.
Human-in-the-Loop Learning under the Free Energy Principle: A Developmental Robotics Perspective
Prof. Jun Tani
This talk presents a theoretical and experimental framework for human-in-the-loop (HITL) systems formulated under the Free Energy Principle (FEP). I begin by introducing the basic concept of the FEP and its relevance to perception-action cycles in adaptive systems. Building on this foundation, I describe the development of a variational recurrent neural network (VRNN) model that operationalizes the FEP for modeling and controlling humanoid robots.
The second part of the talk reports results from a series of HITL experiments in which humanoid robots, governed by the VRNN, engage in imitative interactions and human-assisted developmental training. These experiments reveal how mutual actional intentions between the human and the robot dynamically modulate their behavior, particularly through bidirectional force feedback during physical interaction.
Finally, I will discuss phenomenological implications of these findings, focusing on the sense of agency and primary intersubjectivity that emerge from these embodied, interactive dynamics. The results suggest that modeling HITL processes under the FEP provides a unifying account linking predictive coding, active inference, and human-robot co-development.
Augmenting and dissolving the conscious self with technodelics.
Prof. Olaf Blanke
Olaf Blanke is Bertarelli Foundation Chair of Cognitive Neuroprosthetics at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), where he directs the Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience at Geneva's Campus Biotech. He founded and directed EPFL's Center for Neuroprosthetics (now EPFL's Neuro-X Institute) and is Adjunct Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at Geneva University Hospital. Blanke's research focuses on the neuroscience of consciousness and embodiment, hallucinations and human augmentation as well as neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease. Blanke pioneered robotics and virtual reality technology in neuroscience of consciousness, cognitive science, and recently meditation practice. Blanke has made several seminal contributions towards a neuroscientific theory of self-consciousness and showed how self-consciousness depends on cortical processing of specific multisensory bodily signals. This research established a data-driven model of self- consciousness and introduced the concept of bodily self-consciousness - a perceptual account of self-consciousness - that is based the processing of multisensory bodily signals (exteroceptive and interoceptive signals). These findings also led to a better understanding of out-of-body experiences and other related dissociative experiences and dissociative disorders. His medical-translational activities are dedicated to preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures and devices in Parkinson's disease, dementia and chronic pain conditions, alleviating pain, sustaining mental health and preventing cognitive decline. Blanke is member of the board and chief scientific advisor of the digital neurotherapeutics company Mindmaze.
Coming Soon
To be announced
Details of this keynote will be announced soon. Please stay tuned.
