Japanese researcher proposes using avatars to extend working life and help people with social difficulties

Hiroshi Ishiguro, a Japanese researcher, proposed using avatars to extend working life and help individuals with social difficulties to find work in view of the aging of the population in Japan. Speaking at a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan (FCCJ), Ishiguro explained that incorporating avatars in stores, schools, clinics, among others, could help such workers.

He believes that avatars could also help customers to feel more comfortable in sharing personal information or asking questions, especially in medical centers or clinics. Ishiguro has found that the Japanese prefer avatars similar to animated characters, while in other countries users opt for more person-like representations.

Ishiguro noted that avatars can deliver body language better than humans and do not require training. He also mentioned some of his recent projects like creating an avatar of Japan’s Digitization Minister Taro Komo to answer citizens’ questions from a shopping mall without needing him to leave his office.

The researcher also proposed an initiative in which a group of children were able to talk to elderly people without the older people having to leave their homes, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Ishiguro concluded that avatars could be a bridge for people with autism or psychological problems to have conversations with others.

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