Green Infrastructure in Cities and Introduction of AI in Smart Cities [Part 2]

Currently, at Mitsubishi Jisho Design, data utilization, especially people flow data utilization, is becoming a trend as an entry point for station spatial design, etc. Now that you have changed jobs, could you tell us about the projects you are involved in at your current company?

I am in charge of sales related to technology that can digitize people and cars using edge AI. Rather than just saying that we can obtain information on people flow and traffic volume, I would like to think together with our customers about how it can be used in policy and how it can be connected to people's lives. I often look at public-related projects, and I feel that there is a growing demand for technology to collect data in government agencies. As far as I know, even within the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, departments such as the Road Bureau, Railway Bureau, and Urban Affairs Bureau have begun discussions based on AI image analysis. We are also seeing a significant increase in inquiries from local governments.

Please share with us any challenges you face in acquiring data through your work experience.

In general, I think protecting personal information is the most important thing. We use technology that does not transfer images, but processes them on the camera side and transmits only text such as attribute information.

Who do you think should be in charge of creating the platform for accumulating data on urban development?

Personally, I think this should be the responsibility of the public sector. I think we may be entering an era where people flow and traffic volume will be collected, accumulated, and made public as part of infrastructure. If the time comes when this information becomes commonplace as basic information for local governments, I think there may even be a time when private investment will be made in places where this information is available. I've also heard that local people flow data is required when planning store openings, etc. I think that the provision of such data that makes it easier to make decisions could create differences between regions.

I think the issues we will face going forward are how to utilize data in urban development and how to train people who can meaningfully use the data we obtain. What are your thoughts on training so-called "data scientists"?

It will become commonplace to have huge amounts of data, and tools that allow you to intuitively manipulate (process) data will become more sophisticated, so new analytical results will be produced in a playful way, and "visualizing data" will become a common practice in general society​. I think a data-native generation will emerge. There is a risk that incorrect visualization will be made, whether intentional or not, but if the data is made open, it is expected that re-examination and warnings will be made at the same time. As a result, I expect that data literacy in society as a whole will improve.
At the moment, data collection often does not begin unless there is a clear vision of how the data will be used, but I think there is value in trying to "collect data without knowing how it will be used." This is because we often encounter cases where people who were skeptical before collecting the data suddenly start expressing various opinions as soon as they see the data. I think data has the power to make people think proactively. I think there is value in having more people have this experience.

Could you please give us your opinions and thoughts on what key points to consider when adopting the theme of "data-driven urban development" in creating a new town?

The current use of data is often used to pursue economic efficiency and convenience for administrators. There are often concerns that going too far will lead to a suffocating society. Personally, I would like to use data to increase people's happiness and increase their sense of satisfaction with society. To give a familiar example, I think it would be fine to start by objectively visualizing how playground equipment in parks is used, and renovating it instead of removing it, or introducing popular equipment. Even if the playground equipment is changed, I would like to provide evidence that the children who used it can be satisfied with. In a mature Japan, I think that such happiness and health will become increasingly important in the future. I think that such a city will be able to attract people and new residents, including foreign talent, and will become a pioneer in urban development in the world.

Thank you for today.