Technology

AI

Improved Facial Recognition: Should You Be Scared or Happy?

2020.03.26 www.gloture.co.jp

Facial recognition technology has spread rapidly in Japan as in the rest of the world. You can unlock your smartphone, tablet or computer with your facial features, but it does not stop there. Companies and governments benefit from this new technology too. But will it lead to mass surveillance? Let’s review the situation. How Does Facial Recognition Work? Of course, it’s not specific to Japan. But if you are new to this technology, here is a simple explanation of how it works. Facial recognition was developed to improve safety – but it does not improve privacy, unfortunately. It is also more convenient, so most smartphones are nowadays equipped with a…
AI

Will Employees Be Replaced by Robots in Japan?

2020.03.16 www.gloture.co.jp

Japan is a leader in industrial robotics, many companies are focused on developing robots with cutting-edge functionalities. Connected Robotics, Telexistence, Softbank robotics, Preferred Networks… Those companies don’t develop the same kinds of robots, but they play their part and help improve AI, facial recognition, etc. Some robots, however, provoke people’s apprehension since they are made to replace workers. But will they really increase the unemployment rate? Or will they decrease it? Why Developing Robotics? Because of its aging population, Japan is in need of robots to perform some jobs or to make a job more attractive. First, some robots are not created to replace humans, but to help them, especially…
Tech

Men, Women & Tech in Japan

2020.03.10 www.gloture.co.jp

In Japan, a huge gender gap exists in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. Women have to achieve way more than men do to enter a good school and be hired in a company. Also, interests seem to be different depending on gender. Why is that? Why are men and women not equals facing technology or science?  Brain Differences? According to Mentorist DaiGo, there are ‘female’ and ‘male’ brains and 15% of men have a female one, while 10% of women have a male one. The ‘male’ brain is supposed to be more logical (‘This is the way it is, it will always be, so the result will…
AI

Japanese Robotics: Amazing or Scary?

2020.03.03 www.gloture.co.jp

Japan is known for its innovation in the field of robotic, its population is not afraid of a world in which robots and humans can coexist together – at least not as much as in other countries. Dr. Kazuhito Yokoi, director of the Intelligent Systems Research Institute, called Japan the ‘robot superpower‘ and not without any reason. In 2019, the iREX 2019 was held (international robot exhibition), one of the largest robot exhibitions in the world where visitors from more than 80 countries gathered to see the newest technologies. Let’s take stock of Japanese robotics and of Japanese people’s opinion on the subject. Japanese Robots: What Can They Do? Robots…
AI

The Most Futuristic Japanese Tech: Today or Tomorrow?

2020.02.25 www.gloture.co.jp

Modern-day society is called ‘society 5.0’, information is added to the stages of human development. With VR, IoT, AI, etc., technology has never looked so futuristic. Japan has always surprised people with its new tech, no one can disagree. Japan’s population is declining, but not its capacity to innovate. Not to be outdone, the government strongly supports the R&D and enacts reforms in favor of innovation (with The National Strategic Special Zones, which facilitate foreign companies to invest in Japan, for example). So what has Japan accomplished, what does this new society look like and will look like in a few years? Today’s Tech Earprint (ERGO) This new technology was presented…