Frontier stage
Keynote

Empathy design in the age of AI

In person
  • Date
    8 July 2025
    Timeframe
    14:00 - 14:20 CEST
    Duration
    20 minutes
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    As AI becomes more embedded in our homes, cities, and public spaces, it continues to struggle with emotional and social connection. Mainstream systems prioritize speed and logic, but often overlook the subtleties needed to build trust, such as nonverbal cues, cultural awareness, and shared presence with users. This session introduces Empathy Design, a new approach to Human-AI Interaction that goes beyond output and efficiency. By integrating embodied intelligence, nonverbal cues, and cultural context, it explores how technology can act with emotional nuance, spatial awareness, and social presence.

    Led by Akane Kikuchi, Founder of KiQ Inc. and Shosa Lab, this session shares how empathy design shaped projects such as ATR’s Future Dialogue installation, the Future of Life Pavilion at the Osaka Expo, and the responsive living space ivi house. Inspired by Shosa, the Japanese philosophy of mindful movement, these projects explore how gesture, rhythm, and presence can make AI and tech systems feel more emotionally resonant. By designing for subtle cues and embodied expression, we propose a new model for building trust, empathy, and meaningful coexistence between humans and intelligent systems. Attendees will gain practical insights into designing systems that don’t just serve, but connects with us.

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