OriHime

OriHime (c) OryLab Inc.

Witnessing the evolution of AI technology is nothing short of spectacular. Recently, the avatar robot project has become a hot topic. From the initial stages of developing this robot, developers made this futuristic machine with various applications in mind, but above all, they made it specifically for assisting people with disabilities. Before we knew it, a robot called OriHime was completed and is now ready to assist people since it can listen and respond to the voices around it. We have now reached a new era where anyone can communicate through robots without having to control them with their hands or even having to speak.

The OriHime, after all, is a robot that can not only help people with disabilities, but it also communicates with people on your behalf when you’re in a remote location. Thus, OriHime is programmed to attend classes for children who cannot go to school and just recently, this function has been put into practical use. This is what we call an avatar robot. Now, students can take a class in real time via OriHime, without needing to go to school. The OriHime is indeed a smart robot: Users can receive the same information that feels as close to the real environment as the actual site because the OriHime captures and delivers surrounding images with its built-in camera and audio. You can even control OriHime to raise its hand, talk, and clap.

YAMAHA / Duet with YOO

The world of music is also experiencing drastic AI-ization. Yamaha has developed the Duet with YOO, which is the ultimate piece of technology where AI plays piano along with human musicians. This new technology, called Artificial Intelligence Music Ensemble System, allows players to focus on their playing with peace of mind, because the AI instantly recognizes players’ proficiency level and style of playing, and the system can play along with them. As a result, even beginners can play piano together with AI at a level everyone thinks is amazing, depending on the settings. Since pianos could integrate with AI, so will guitars and band performances, of course. It is no longer a fantasy to perform in a rock band with robot band members. In fact, now we can even experience our performance to the highest level possible!!

However, I have to wonder how people will be able to stay motivated enough to practice their musical instruments in the future if a robot can do way more than we can do. Perhaps listeners will no longer be able to distinguish which one, either the human or the robot, is playing. Even if the technology for the very popular Vocaloid advances further, you won’t be able to tell if the voice you’re hearing is virtual or human.

In the case of schools, robots will certainly be useful in the future for students who cannot attend school for unavoidable reasons. However, if using OriHime becomes the norm for those who just don’t want to go to school, I am concerned that this will lead people to disregard the learning environment altogether. I feel that it is so important for students to learn together with their classmates in person. I also wonder how the students who physically attend school will feel when they are forced to sit next to these helper robots. Would students introduce themselves?? Would they ever talk to these robots?? No way! That is beyond the realm of my imagination. I think this has reached the level of being more than a bizarre situation. What if one day all the students suddenly start to boycott class and the teacher is forced to only talk to 40 OriHime robots placed on top of the students’ desks? Something is not right here...