MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives will host the special exhibition “The Future of Life+.” The exhibition runs from July 25 to September 25 at “Box1000” in TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY. This article covers the media preview and press conference held the day before the opening.
“The Future of Life,” the signature pavilion created by Hiroshi Ishiguro, a leading expert in android research and professor at Osaka University, which garnered significant attention at the Osaka-Kansai Expo. “The Future of Life+,” to be held in Tokyo, retains the overall narrative that captivated so many visitors at the Expo, while partially restructuring the content to suit the MoN Takanawa venue.
The exhibition hall is divided into three main zones, featuring a collection of numerous androids, robots, and CG avatars created using cutting-edge technology. In this installment, a new scene has been added to encourage visitors to confront “choices for the future of life,” with the aim of providing a more thought-provoking experience.
Zone 1, “The Journey of Life,” explores the history of how the Japanese people have imbued objects with life; Zone 2 depicts “The Future 50 Years from Now,” in which people live using a variety of products made possible by advanced technology; and Zone 3, “Life 1,000 Years from Now: ‘Mahonoba,’” features exhibits on humans who have evolved through science and technology.
Androids and robots appear in Zone 2, “The Future 50 Years from Now”—the main exhibition—as beings that coexist with humans of the future. The scenario for this exhibition presents the theme “We Can Live the Lives We Want” not as a simple binary choice between “android or human,” but as a broader exploration of agency—the freedom to choose for oneself how one wishes to exist and to continually question that choice.
The program is designed to present philosophical questions in an accessible way, with features such as English subtitles projected on screen to ensure the message reaches a wide range of guests. Just as a reporter might, visitors who experienced the “Future of Life” Pavilion at the World Expo will likely find that reuniting with “The Girl and the Grandmother” in Zone 2 provides an opportunity—for the first time in about a year—to reflect on the “life they want to live.”
At the Expo, it was an experience where visitors imagined the answer Grandma would give, but this time, I felt it had deepened into an experience where, in a newly added scene, visitors could reflect alongside other guests on the question that lies beyond that—“Who am I?”—and take that insight home with them.
The merchandise lineup has also been significantly expanded to include the long-awaited official exhibition catalog and original workbooks that can be used for summer vacation research projects. The shop area is open to visitors without admission tickets, and a limited number of books signed by Professor Ishiguro will be available for purchase.
There are only two payment methods available: transportation IC cards and credit cards (excluding contactless payments). Please note that cash and barcode payments such as PayPay cannot be used. We’ll cover the details of the merchandise in a separate article.
In addition to new scenarios and an expanded selection of merchandise, “Future of Life+” offers a new feature: the “Conversation Experience with an Android,” which allows visitors to enjoy realistic, interactive communication with an AI-powered android. Visitors can engage in independent conversation with Natsume Sōseki (a graduate of Nisō Gakusha). A separate ticket is required to participate.
At the press conference, the remotely controlled android “Geminoid HI-6” (commonly known as “Ishigloid”), developed by Professor Ishiguro, took the stage alongside him. Not only does it bear a striking resemblance to him, but it has also been trained on a vast body of knowledge—including Professor Ishiguro’s interviews and published works—enabling it to engage in conversations based on the professor’s own way of thinking and values.
Ishiguroid not only participated in a panel discussion on stage but also answered questions from reporters. When asked the fundamental question, “In a future where robots and humans coexist, what is the meaning of life for flesh-and-blood humans?” he replied, he gave a brilliant response that surprised the audience: “Meaning will remain. Whether you’re flesh-and-blood or a machine isn’t the essence of the matter. Humans exist within relationships, so what matters is how we build those relationships. The idea of seeking special meaning in being flesh-and-blood is superficial.”
In response to the question, “Does Ishiguroid ever disagree with Professor Ishiguro?”, Professor Ishiguro spoke highly of it, saying, “Since all of my books and media interviews have been inputted into it, it basically shares my way of thinking. What’s even more important is that, in addition to that, it possesses all the knowledge available on the internet. To be honest, there are many instances where it answers questions even better than I do.”
“I’m hoping my role will gradually become less important,” he said half-jokingly, while revealing that he can now devote that time to new research and development, highlighting how the line between humans and androids is already blurring.
Kazuaki Kuribayashi, Director and Chief Content Officer at CHOCOLATE Inc., who was involved in creating the new scenario following the World Expo, shared insights into the production process: “Rather than simply having visitors passively listen to the androids’ conversations, we focused on making them want to join in and think along with the characters.” Based on Professor Ishiguro’s philosophy that “it’s important to pose the ‘question’ of ‘What will the future be like?’ rather than stating ‘This is what the future will be like,’” the exhibition was designed to convey complex themes in accessible, easy-to-understand language.
Professor Ishiguro noted the rapid advancements in AI and robotics technology over the past year since the Expo, saying, “Rather than a future 50 years from now, it might be as soon as five years from now that we could take over and live long lives through androids. “I hope you’ll view this with the awareness that this is an issue we must take responsibility for in the near future,” he said, emphasizing the growing realism of the exhibition.
© Source travel watch