Can AI Possess a Soul? A New Challenge on the Theme of “Regional Revitalization × AI” Undertaken with Hitachi, Ltd.

— Together with Hitachi, Ltd., Dentsu Digital developed a conversational AI to showcase the appeal of Hitachi City. How did this project begin?

Satoru Yamamoto: Originally, the collaboration began with our ongoing relationship with Hitachi, Ltd. and  Dentsu East Japan Inc. We were first approached with the request: “We want to develop a generative AI unique to Hitachi City that can boost publicity from the perspective of regional revitalization.” Given that this was a project involving AI, the idea was to consult with Dentsu Digital, which led to our involvement.

Hitachi City in Ibaraki Prefecture is the birthplace of Hitachi, Ltd. and still hosts many of its facilities today. The idea started as the development of an AI that would communicate the charm of Hitachi City. Surrounded by both the sea and mountains, Hitachi City is blessed with rich nature and is a comfortable place to live. We discussed which aspects of its attractions should be highlighted. Through our discussions, we focused on the fact that Hitachi City, blessed with the grand Kuji River system, is an ideal location for sake brewing and boasts the highest number of sake breweries in the prefecture. Based on this, we decided to create a project that would introduce Hitachi's local sake by featuring three sake breweries within the city.

Around that time, Hitachi, Ltd. had also established a connection with Kenchi Tachibana, a member of the talent agency LDH JAPAN, through another project. Kenchi-san is the Social Innovation Officer at LDH JAPAN and actively works on regional revitalization. He has also published books about sake and is highly knowledgeable about it. The project ultimately evolved into the idea of having Kenchi-san serve as a regional revitalization ambassador, combining his presence with AI to help energize Hitachi City.

— This conversational AI was developed for an exhibition at the "Hitachi Social Innovation Forum 2024 JAPAN," which Hitachi, Ltd. held in September 2024. How did you proceed with the project?

Yamamoto: My role was to handle the "requirements definition," which involves identifying the elements necessary for AI development, and "system design," which determines how to  reflect those requirements in the system.

Since we wanted to imbue the AI with Kenchi-san’s “soul,” we aimed for it to learn not just his verbal mannerisms and catchphrases, but his fundamental mindset as well. This cannot be achieved by just interviewing Kenchi-san alone,  so we actually visited Hitachi City with Kenchi-san and had him interview the owners of the three sake breweries and several restaurants in the city. We filmed these sessions on video and had the AI analyze them.

Kenchi-san was not only interested in expressing his impressions of the sake’s flavor, but also showed strong curiosity about the history and background of each sake. He asked detailed questions, such as which kind of rice was used and even what kind of equipment was used.

We taught the AI step-by-step. For each scene in the videos, we listed the facts about what was being said. Then, we extracted the thought elements present in those scenes—for example, what he thought about the ingredients,  the production methods, the history, and so on. Using this as a foundation, the AI would begin to express, “This is the kind of person Kenchi-san is.” The AI would watch the videos, summarizes facts, analyze  thought processes, and even perform as that person—all on its own. It was a very strange sensation.

What we paid the most attention to was ensuring that we didn’t lose Kenchi-san’s unique personality. We had the AI pick out moments where it seemed like he might be thinking something beyond what was said. For example, when he made a good facial expression or there was a slightly longer pause. The AI would then advise us to ask Kenchi-san again about what he might have been thinking in those moments.

We later set up interviews with Kenchi-san and actually asked the questions the AI had suggested. In some cases, we received answers different from what we had expected, which led to many new discoveries. We then fed these results back into the AI’s learning process. I believe that this approach could become a basic framework for reflecting individual characteristics in AI.

Additionally, during these interviews, it became clear once again that Kenchi-san views entertainment as just one means among many. He strongly desires to energize Japan. In order to ensure that this feeling of his was properly embodied in the AI, we considered methods to prevent the AI from becoming just a superficial guide.

Nozomi Fujiwara: If Yamamoto’s role was to create the contents of the soul, then our role was to create its outer form.

While making use of Kenchi-san’s expertise as a sake specialist, we considered how best to visually express his “soul.” After much thought, we arrived at a visual involving a “mokkiri” sake cup (a glass served inside a wooden masu box, traditionally filled to overflow) and the rippling surface of an ochoko sake cup (a small cylindrical sake cup placed inside the mokkiri). The image was inspired by the way the inside of a crystal ball shimmers and undulates, as seen in fortune-telling.

From there, we took charge of the overall production, from designing the device to creating the visuals projected on it. We were also responsible for producing the user experience—how to make the act of interacting with the AI as enjoyable and satisfying as possible.

What the team focused on was creating an AI that is friendly and approachable. The choice to design the device in the shape of a large “mokkiri” (sake glass with a masu box) was also a deliberate effort to make it charming and familiar. We incorporated various ideas, such as displaying subtitles in real time to make conversations easier to understand, and aiming for a conversational pace that feels as natural as speaking with a real person.

This conversational AI isn’t a so-called virtual human of Kenchi-san, but rather a friend who traveled together with him. Out of many possible options, we selected a calm female voice for the AI. Furthermore, in the visuals—the gently rippling surface of the ochoko sake cup—we displayed subtitles as well as video footage from the visit to Hitachi City, with a strong emphasis on accessibility.

Yamamoto: Actually, these videos aren’t matched by search keywords. Instead, the AI automatically selects the most relevant footage based on the conversation content. For example, if the topic turns to family, a video from an interview at a family-run restaurant would be played. In terms of expression as well, I believe this AI truly allows users to get a glimpse of Kenchi-san’s inner world.

Saori Tsuji: I participated as the PMO (Project Management Officer) of this project. There were a large number of people involved, including representatives from Hitachi, Ltd., LDH JAPAN, Dentsu East Japan, as well as our own team at Dentsu Digital working with Yamamoto and Fujiwara. It was absolutely essential that we meet the deadline for the event exhibition. In addition to our team, there was another team responsible for creating promotional videos, so coordinating schedules and arranging all the necessary materials was quite a challenge.

 — Please share your reflections on this project and your outlook for the future.

Yamamoto: I believe our strength lies in going beyond words to uncover the true insights into what our clients fundamentally want to achieve. When I introduce Dentsu Digital, I describe it as “a company that enables business growth and transformation by leveraging the fusion of creativity and technology,” and this project truly showcased both aspects to their fullest.

As someone from the technology side who builds things up logically, I feel that without a creative “leap” from teams like Fujiwara’s, our work would not resonate with people on an emotional level.

Fujiwara: When we talk about AI, it’s often about creating digital experiences on screens—on computers or smartphones. A project like this, which offers a digital AI experience at a real, physical venue, may be rare even for Dentsu Digital.

With so many exhibits, we really focused as a creative team on how to capture attention and create an approachable experience. The fact that we could achieve this was due to the wealth of talent at Dentsu Digital, including employees with a strong background in event production and others who have been deeply involved in making things for years.

Looking ahead, as the real and virtual worlds merge even more through technologies like XR (extended reality), new possibilities will open up. We want to develop a “flexible strength” that allows us to adapt to any situation or environment. I believe this will enable us to meet the diverse needs and challenges of our many client companies.

Tsuji: Hitachi, Ltd. also praised us, saying this project wouldn’t have been possible without Dentsu Digital. Usually, I mostly work on web projects like owned media, so working on a real-life event was a refreshing experience. Seeing the crowds gather at our booth at the actual venue made me realize once again how powerfully real-life experiences can capture people’s hearts.

We also exhibited at the “Hitachi City Industrial Festival” held in November. While the previous event was more business-oriented, this one had the feel of a festival for the citizens, allowing the general public to engage with the AI. Children enjoyed it as well, and I believe it was a valuable opportunity for them to experience technology firsthand.

Since this project started with the theme of "AI × Regional Revitalization," we've also received inquiries about expanding to other regions. Now that we already have the device, it would be possible to take this initiative nationwide by having the AI relearn about sake from other regions. While it's not a simple task, we are eager to make such proposals ourselves going forward.

Yamamoto: One thing from our conversations with Hitachi, Ltd. left a particularly strong impression on me. Hitachi City has many charms—its beautiful nature, delicious food, and sake—but those can also be found in other regions. However, what sets Hitachi City apart is that it's home to Hitachi, Ltd. That is why it was so meaningful to leverage technology for this project, and I believe it became a proposal for a new vision of what a city can be.

Looking ahead, I think it would be interesting if AI could be placed throughout Hitachi City to listen to people's concerns. This could gather more and more ideas from residents for making the town even better to live in. Hitachi, Ltd. also expressed a desire to learn about issues faced by other regions and to create a virtuous cycle of initiatives like this project to address those issues. I feel this perfectly symbolizes what our project is about, and we would love to continue working together.

Not just for this project, but with digital touchpoints now everywhere, I see Dentsu Digital as a company that truly listens to voices in the real world and connects those insights to other touchpoints. Many of our client companies, such as those in retail, operate directly in the physical world. By collaborating withsuch clients, I hope to promote regional revitalization initiatives.