I went to Japan to cover AI, but…“Our Neko-chan doesn't use human-like AI” [Dureon Dureon AI ㉒]

Journalist Lee Ju-hyun and Han Kwi-young, from the South Korean media outlet Hankyoreh, recently visited Japan to research AI technology for the elderly, as part of a project supported by the Korea Press Foundation. They visited Trendmaster, a pet robot company in Kanagawa, and met with its 73-year-old president, Nakada Atsushi, who introduced them to his company's product, "Nadenade Nekozan", a robotic cat that responds to touch.

The robot is popular among Japan's elderly population, who often cannot keep pets due to local regulations. Nakada stated that while his company could develop AI-powered robots, it prefers to focus on creating simple, emotionally supportive technology that is affordable and easy to use.