Future Ideations Camp Vol.5 : Can AI Become Life?

2025.01.25(Sat)–29(Wed)

Civic Creative Base Tokyo [CCBT]

Date & Time: January 25 (Sat) – 29 (Wed), 2025
Venue: Civic Creative Base Tokyo [CCBT]
Capacity: Around 20
Admission: Free
Application Period: December 5 (Thu) – 19 (Thu), 2024

Results Exhibition: January 30 (Thu) – February 2 (Sun), 2025

Can AI Become Life?
A five-day camp exploring AI and the future relationship between humans and technology. Centering on the concept of autonomy, the camp offers feasible future approaches through collaboration.

Civic Creative Base Tokyo (CCBT)’s Future Ideations Camp is a series of intensive workshops bringing different kinds of people together to work collaboratively and creatively with art and digital technologies. Twenty selected participants take part in several days of lectures to acquire new ways of thinking, workshops for building skill sets, and collaborative group activities. During the camps, the general public are also able to attend talks and presentations of the results.

The fifth Future Ideations Camp will explore the theme of autonomy through the lens of artificial intelligence, a field that is today attracting widespread attention due to its potential impact on society as technology rapidly develops and becomes available for use. The camp will examine our future relationship with technology via references to artificial life (ALife) practices.

Conversational AI like ChatGPT gives users the impression they are communicating with an actual human being. The emergence of such technology spurs an image of a coming society in which machines and humans coexist. So, is GPT “alive”? And what makes us think that we are alive?

This camp hypothesizes autonomy as the element necessary for a nonliving machine to approach a living state, and explores if AI attains life once it gains autonomy. Along with searching for our intelligence and physicality—in short, what makes us human—it envisages a future in which artificial systems might become living and be treated like humans. It deals with a wide range of vital topics regarding the future of technology and the state of society, from ecosystems in the natural world to human rights and ethical dilemmas.

The program is organized under the joint direction of University of Tokyo Takashi Ikenoue Lab, which engages with the social applications of information technology as well as ALife research and related theories, and also in partnership with Watershed, a creative technology center in Bristol, UK. The lineup of instructors includes such practitioners as artists whose work explores AI systems and technological contexts, and programmers and fashion designers who take inspiration in their work from the behavior and qualities of life. Through the instructors’ lectures and workshops, participants will learn about AI and ALife technology and theory, and creativity that employs them. Through collaborative group work, the participants will attempt to conceive the rules and systems necessary in future society, and to produce new forms of expression.

Reference: Future Ideations Camp Vol.3｜Co-creating Opportunities for Inclusive Encounters Workshop

Reference: Future Ideations Camp Vol.4｜Understanding and Creatively Expressing Ecosystems as Data

Program Directors

– Masumori Atsushi (ALife researcher, Project Specialist / University of Tokyo Graduate School, CEO / Alternative Machine Inc.)
– Doi Itsuki (Senior Researcher, Alternative Machine Inc., PhD)

Lecturers / Facilitators

– Alter3
– Ikegami Takashi (DSc in Physics, Professor / Department of General Systems Studies, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo)
– Ema Arisa (Associate Professor / University of Tokyo, Visiting Researcher / RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project in Japan)
– Kyoda Kanji (AI fashion researcher)
– johnsmith (Artist, researcher)
– Nagami Keisuke (HATRA / fashion designer)
– Playfool (Designer, Artist)
– Horikawa Junichiro (programmer, algorithmic designer)
– Maruyama Norihiro (Senior Researcher / Alternative Machine Inc., Project Specialist / University of Tokyo Graduate School)
– Martin O’Leary (Studio Community Lead / Pervasive Media Studio)
– Yoshida Takahide (PhD student / University of Tokyo Takashi Ikenoue Lab)
– Rachel Smith (artist, software engineer and creative technologist)　and others

Outline

Dates: January 25 (Sat) – 29 (Wed), 2025 11:00 am – 7:00 pm (subject to change)
Results Exhibition: January 30 (Thu) – February 2 (Sun), 2025
Venue: Civic Creative Base Tokyo [CCBT]

Program & Curriculum (TBU)

Day1：AI and Beyond – January 25 (Sat)
Introduction
Participant self-introductions
AI Lecture (Lecturer: Ema Arisa)
AI Hands-on workshop (Lecturers: Masumori Atsushi, Doi Itsuki)
Keynote lecture (Lecturer: Ikegami Takashi) *TBA

Day2：ALife? – January 26 (Sun)
Autonomy workshop (Facilitator: Playfool)
ALife Hands-on workshop (Lecturers: Masumori Atsushi, Doi Itsuki)

Day3：Creative Implementation – January 27 (Mon)
Lectures, Hands-on workshops and more (Lecturers / Facilitators: Martin O’Leary, Rachel Smith, Horikawa Junichiro, Nagami Keisuke)
Brainstorming for group work

Day 4 – January 28 (Tue)
Co-creating in groups
Interim presentations

Day 5 – January 29 (Wed)
Co-creating in groups
Final presentations (Results Exhibition: January 30 (Thu) – February 2 (Sun), 2025)

Reference: Plantbot (Alternative Machine Inc.)

Reference: Future Ideations Camp vol.1: Import *

Reference: Future Ideations Camp Vol.2 | setup(): Making New Rules with Blockchains

Application Guidlines

Application Period: December 5 (Thu) – 19 (Thu), 2024
Participant Numbers: Around 20

Participation Requirements
– Be able to participate in the whole program during the session
– Have a proven track record of research or creative activities
– Be able to apply the content of the workshop to their own future activities

Target Participant

– Those interested in using AI and ALife technology to explore new forms of creativity
– Those interested in the use of AI technology not only for creative expression but also in the fields of welfare, education, and economics
– Those interested in developing software and hardware with the characteristics of life
– Those who want to explore social and ethical issues in the age of AI from the perspective of creativity
– Anyone interested in ideas and mindsets related to digital transformation
– Those who want to explore what lies beyond AI

Selection Criteria
In case of too many applications, selection will be made based on the application.

Result Notification
The result will be notified through email on December 24th, 2024. (subject to change)

Application Process
Please apply via the application form.
Alternatively, please send an email (ccbt@rekibun.or.jp) including the following items with “Future Ideations Camp Application” in the subject line.

– Full Name
– Email Address
– Date of Birth
– City of Residence
– Occupation / Affiliation
– Areas of expertise (Art & Contemporary Art, Design, Product Design, Project Development, Engineer, Architect / Interior Design, Education, Public Administration, Biology, Physics, Humanities, Environmental Studies, Philosophy, Others)
– Wether or not you have experience using and utilizing generative AI and large-scale language models (LLMs) and the specifics of your
– Reasons and expectations of your participation in this camp (200 words or less)
– Please indicate if you need any accessibility support. (Examples: Finger braille interpretation, Tactile sign language interpretation)
– State the link, if you have a portfolio, video materials, websites, or GitHub that introduces your initiatives.

Masumori Atsushi

ALife researcher, Project Specialist / University of Tokyo Graduate School, CEO / Alternative Machine Inc.

In the field of artificial life, Masumori Atsushi primarily researches autonomy and agency using humanoid robots and hybrid systems and that combine robots with organisms like plants and cultured nerve cells, as well as researching self-assembly systems for morphological self-organization in the field of digital fabrication. He aspires for the social implementation of artificial life through the fusion of ALife theory, AI, digital fabrication, and blockchain technologies. As an engineer, Masumori is also involved in system development and artwork production.

Doi Itsuki

Senior Researcher, Alternative Machine Inc., PhD

Born in 1989 in Hyogo, Doi Itsuki is a researcher and music artist. After studying molecular biology at university, he pursued research into artificial life. Alongside researching means of understanding experiences of others that include artificial systems as experiences of other people, he also makes art and music. His major exhibitions include “MONAURALS” (2023, WHITEHOUSE, Tokyo), “I Forgot How to Look at the Ocean” (2022, JINNAN HOUSE, Tokyo), “ALTERNATIVE MACHINE” (2021, WHITEHOUSE, Tokyo), and “Bee Wee” (2021, Talion Gallery, Tokyo). His music releases include Peeling Blue (CD, 2017). In recent years, Doi has also been involved in music and sound system production for films and stage performances.

https://cotofu.com/

Ikegami Takashi

DSc in Physics, Professor / Department of General Systems Studies, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo

Ikegami Takashi specializes in complex systems science and artificial life. His writings and co-writings include Movement Makes Life (2027, Seidosha), Between Human and Machine (2016, Kodansha), and ALife That Makes and Moves: Introduction to Artificial Life Model Theory through Implementation (2018, O’Reilly Japan). His other activities and projects include “filmachine” (2006, YCAM) and “ScaryBeauty” (2018, National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation), both with Shibuya Keiichiro, and “ALTER the android KAGURA” (2020, Mutek Japan) and “MTM2” (2023), with Alternative Machine Inc. and the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Technology).

Ema Arisa

Associate Professor / University of Tokyo, Visiting Researcher / RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project in Japan

Ema Arisa is an associate professor at the University of Tokyo and a visiting researcher at the RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project. She is a specializes in science and technology studies, primarily investigating the benefits and risks of artificial intelligence. She is a member of the Japanese government’s AI Strategy Council, launched in May 2023. Internationally, Ema is an expert member of the Global Partnership on AI’s Future of Work Expert Working Group, and an elected member of the UN Secretary General’s High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence.

https://sites.google.com/g.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp/ema/

Kyoda Kanji

AI fashion researcher

Born in Arakawa, Tokyo, in 2000, Kyoda Kanji researches the possibilities of generative systems for fashion design. Having started creating costumes in high school, he recently held “Hikarizome”, an exhibition exploring AI and digital fashion, at UltraSuperNew Gallery in Omotesando, and participated in the group exhibition “figure and virtual” at Miaki Gallery in Nishi-Azabu. Since 2024, he has expanded his activities to include video production and editing, lecturing, and development support. Kyoda currently works as a member of HATRA, engaged in research activities and other projects.

https://www.instagram.com/kanjikyoda/

johnsmith

Artist, researcher

After graduating from the University of Fine Arts, johnsmith became interested in the non-verbal nature of art and entered the Takashi Ikegami Laboratory at the University of Tokyo, which has a background in physics, to work on the theme of “art as something that science and human knowledge will eventually reach”. They use art as a means of giving form to non-verbal areas that cannot be approached through philosophy or scientific analysis. In 2023, symposium “Art in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Creativity, Impact and Challenges” at Osaka University Nakanoshima Centre, Research and Artist Residence in ZKM (2019).　Ph.D student Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, university of Tokyo, Part time teacher of Tokyo Art University, Affiliation of Alternative Machine Inc.

http://johnsmithstudios.com/

Nagami Keisuke

HATRA / fashion designer

Born in Hiroshima in 1987, Nagami Keisuke is the head of Namitori Inc. (HATRA). He studied couture in Paris in 2006, returning to Japan in 2010 to establish HATRA. He advocates a concept of “liminal wear” that treats clothing as a transitional space. Nagami develops design methodologies based on digital technologies like generative AI and cloth modeling with 3D computer graphics, and conducts research on perceptions of the body that intermix various realities.

https://hatroid.com

Playfool

Designer, Artist

Playfool is an art-design unit by Daniel Coppen and Maruyama Saki. Its work intervenes in the relationships between society and technology through the medium of play. Its multidisciplinary and experimental practice comprises object-making, installations, and multimedia productions, which emphasize play’s experimental, reflective, and intimate qualities to create participatory spaces that engage critically yet whimsically with technology. Playfool’s works have been widely exhibited at institutions as the Victoria & Albert Museum (London, 2023), Ars Electronica (Linz, 2024), and MAK (Vienna, 2019–25).

https://studioplayfool.com

Horikawa Junichiro

programmer, algorithmic designer

Born in 1984 in Tokyo, Horikawa Junichiro graduated from Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture with a master’s degree in advanced architectural design. Inspired by geometry and natural ecology, he researches and creates various forms with algorithms. He regularly streams tutorials and releases videos about algorithmic design on YouTube. His major awards include The One Show’s Gold Pencil in 2019 and the Excellence Award in the Art Division at the 23rd Japan Media Arts Festival. Horikawa serves as a project specialist at the University of Tokyo and Kyoto Institute of Technology, and also as director of Orange Jellies. His major publications include Parametric Design with Grasshopper (2017, BNN) and Algorithmic Design with Houdini (2019, BNN).

https://youtube.com/@JunichiroHorikawa/

Maruyama Norihiro

Senior Researcher / Alternative Machine Inc., Project Specialist / University of Tokyo Graduate School

Born in 1984 in Nagano Prefecture, Maruyama Norihiro obtained a PhD from the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. In the field of artificial life, he is interested in group functional differentiation and herd autonomy ushered in by upscaled systems, and conducts large-scale simulations of herd behavior using supercomputers. Maruyama generally serves as a hardware and software technician for art and system development projects, both on and off-campus. His co-writings include ALife That Makes and Moves: Introduction to Artificial Life Model Theory through Implementation (2018, O’Reilly Japan).

Martin O’Leary

Studio Community Lead / Pervasive Media Studio

Martin joined Watershed in 2019, after careers in software development, in academia and in exhibition design. As Studio Community Lead at the Pervasive Media Studio, he looks after a community of about two hundred artists, technologists, academics and activists. His work has a particular focus on early-stage prototyping, thinking through making, and the ways that technology shapes the kinds of futures we can imagine.

Yoshida Takahide

PhD student / University of Tokyo Takashi Ikenoue Lab

Born in Tokyo in 1999, Yoshida Takahide graduated with a degree in physics from Keio University. He is currently a PhD student at the University of Tokyo, attached to the Takashi Ikenoue Lab. He researches autonomous movement generation and robot self-awareness by pairing the humanoid robot Alter3 with large language models. Since 2020, Yoshida has served as a research assistant for Hasegawa Yuko, emeritus professor at Tokyo University of the Arts, and also worked as a curator. He is the recipient of the 2023 University of Tokyo University Hospital Multidisciplinary Sciences Encouragement Prize. His major exhibitions include “DXP (Digital Transformation Planet): Towards the Next Interface” (2023) at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa.

Rachel Smith

artist, software engineer and creative technologist

Rachel works as an artist, software engineer and creative technologist making performative installations with silly machines. Often interrogating emerging or prevalent technologies with both a critical and affectionate eye, she is interested in the relationship between humans and machines and seeks to create meaningful interactions which connect us both to our surroundings (physical and digital) and to one another. Rachel has exhibited internationally at Science Gallery Melbourne, Ars Electronic Linz, Kunstverein Tiergarten Berlin and with Amsterdam Noord municipality. She has an MFA in Media Art from Bauhaus University Weimar, was a fellow in Automation for South West Creative Technology Network and is currently a resident at Pervasive Media Studio in Bristol.

https://rachelsmith.xyz/about.html

Organizer: Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Civic Creative Base Tokyo [CCBT] (Arts Council Tokyo, Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture)

Joint direction: University of Tokyo Takashi Ikenoue Lab Partnership: Watershed

Application form