Research into determining the kind of person someone is based on a short online exchange has been conducted around the world. In Japan, the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), a pioneer in research into artificial general intelligence (AGI) that can read human emotions, has attracted attention. NICT has used AI to estimate 23 traits that describe people’s inner selves from Twitter information. These traits can detect not only intelligence and personality, but also mental states such as schizophrenia and depression, and lifestyle habits such as drinking and smoking. For example, a high frequency of “likes” indicates “high kanji literacy,” a large variation in the number of characters in each tweet indicates “a tendency toward schizophrenia,” and frequent use of words like “drink,” “walk,” and “timetable” indicates “a drinking habit.” Social media, that anyone can tweet, has now become an infrastructure for social participation. Technology that can use this infrastructure to uncover people’s inner selves and health conditions is currently being developed.
When confronted with new technologies that can reveal people’s inner thoughts, people seem to be divided into two camps. First, some feel a sense of unease. If our inner thoughts could be revealed through our social media tweets, it would be like a surveillance eye reaching into our brains. Some people feel anxious and fearful. On the other hand, for those who see AI analysis as “monitoring” rather than “surveillance,” this technology offers hope. Those who emphasize the former will see the establishment of laws that regulate or prohibit AI. The European Union (EU) has enacted an AI law that, in principle, bans the use of AI that infers emotions in the workplace and educational settings. However, exceptions are made when the use of AI to infer emotions is necessary for medical or safety purposes.
Workforce stress is currently at an all-time high. Ensuring psychological safety against mental health issues has become a global challenge. Microsoft is also tackling this challenge. However, because it would be difficult to do it alone, it has teamed up with a health service company. Microsoft has partnered with Spring Health, a startup that provides comprehensive support services. Spring Health offers several options, including counseling and tools to assess mental health. According to Microsoft, approximately 4,000 people signed up for Spring Health within the first week of its launch. A system that can detect employee ailments early and take appropriate action is beneficial for companies. The groundwork is being laid for emotion AI to play an active role in a wide range of applications, including marketing, health management, and autonomous driving. This appears to offer great business opportunities.
