Throughout the history of mankind, we have continuously developed new tools such as letters, money, printing technology, and computers. Every time a new tool developed, our brains adaptively learn how to use it through experience and actively make use of it in our daily lives. This process arises from “plasticity” of the brain. One of the important aspects of plasticity is that the structure and function of the brain circuitry change in response to information obtained through the senses, such as the eyes and ears. Thanks to the plasticity, we are able to learn and remember things. In other words, human beings have not only developed science and technology, but have changed the way how to use their own brains according to the development of science and technology. This fact implies that the brain still has high potentials, but it cannot fully demonstrate that potential while being placed in our current “raw” environments. Therefore, by making the best use of AI, we would like free the brain from the constraints of the body and attempt to bring out its hidden potentials.

We will explore “symbiotic emergence” from a hybrid of the brain and AI, and develop a new dimension of perception, sensitivity, and cognition. The “symbiotic emergence” refers to the extension of intelligence that occurs as a result of interactions between the brain and various objects such as the environment, body, and machines, and our goal is to develop AI that can support such interactions. Specifically, we will work on the development of technologies to expand the interfaces and brain capabilities to support interactions between the brain and outside world, as well as technologies for elucidating the principles and mechanisms for understanding interactions and to collect and analyze information that contributes to this understanding.

The first approach to achieve “symbiotic emergence” between the brain and AI is to use an AI chip with built-in sensory sensors. Signals from the environment and body are detected by sensory devices. Based on the detected information, the AI chip sends stimuli to the brain to make it recognize information that it would not normally be aware of. For example, most Japanese people are not good at differentiating between the R and L pronunciations. Because we grow up hearing Japanese language, our ability to distinguish between R and L pronunciations was lost as a function. The pronunciations of R and L are physically different, but different signals must be sent from the ear to the brain; nonetheless the brain does not discriminate between them. Thus, we can design a AI chip that produce different electric signals depending on the pronunciation, so that the brain can recognize the difference. Repeated use of this device will induce “plasticity” in the brain and expand the ability to distinguish pronunciation.

Another approach is to have AI decode the brain information of individuals and then inform them about the results. In some cases, individuals are not able to utilize external information detected by the brain. Using AI to decipher such hidden assets and inform individuals can help them learn skills quickly, even those that would normally require prolonged periods of training to master. For example, we will use AI to learn skills that require a high level of judgment by integrating information obtained from past experiences and the environment, such as insight to determine a good or bad move by looking at a chess board, or an aesthetic eye when appreciating a painting.

This research attempts to transcend academic disciplines by engaging psychiatry, psychology, and pedagogy with neuroscience and information science. The questions to be addressed are: 1) What is intelligence?; 2) Can intelligence be extended?; and 3) How should the intelligence be utilized? In this research, we will approach these fundamental questions through the development and implementation of brain-AI hybrid technology. Our future goal is to augment humanity and develop next-generation intelligence with new values by implementing into the brain perceptions and superior cognitive abilities that animals and humans cannot innately perceive (e.g., absolute pitch, speed reading), as well as sensitivities and skills that cannot be acquired without long-term training (e.g., the aesthetic sense, insight, and inspiration).