“Blockchain” and “Artificial Intelligence”,
Centered on the disruptive potential of blockchain and AI, this event explored their cross-industry and societal impact. Blockchain sessions showcased secure transaction models and fintech applications, while the AI track featured advancements in big data analytics and natural language processing. Talks by global experts highlighted practical frameworks for integrating these technologies across policy, business, and social systems.
Global IT History
- The global AI market reaches $8.4 billion, with $5 billion in investments
- Google DeepMind’s AlphaGo defeats the world Go champion, attracting over 100 million viewers
- Python becomes the standard language for AI development
- The U.S. government releases the “Preparing for the Future of AI” report, positioning AI research, employment, ethics, and safety as national priorities
- The voice assistant market expands with Amazon Echo and Google Assistant
- Tesla, Waymo, and Uber advance AI-driven autonomous driving technologies
Mainstream Adoption of Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies
- In Japan, the revised Payment Services Act recognizes cryptocurrencies as a legal means of settlement, with ¥480 billion in trading volume and over 4,200 merchants accepting payments
- Globally, cryptocurrency market capitalization exceeds $17 billion, and blockchain investments surpass $550 million
- Over 40 banks join the R3 consortium to co-develop Corda
Speakers
Adam Back
President & Co-Founder, Blockstream Corp.
Thaddeus Dryja
Founder & CTO, Lightning Labs
Jun Murai
Dean / Professor, SFC Keio University
Michael Casey
Senior Advisor, MIT Media Lab Digital Currency Initiative
Naoyuki Iwashita
Head of Fintech Center, Bank of Japan
Oki Matsumoto
Chairman & CEO, Monex Group, Inc.
Ritsu Ichihashi
CTO, Bengo4.com
Nicolas Dorier
CTO, Metaco SA
Neha Narula
Director of Research, MIT Media Lab Digital Currency Initiative
Shin’ichiro Matsuo, Ph.D.
Research Affiliate & Director’s Liaison for Financial Cryptography, MIT Media Lab / Co-Founder, BSafe.network
Pindar Wong
Chairman, VeriFi (Hong Kong) Ltd
Hiroaki Kitano
Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc.
Kazutaka Yonekura
CEO, al+ (alts)
Alex “Sandy” Pentland
Professor & Director, MIT Media Lab Connection Science and Human Dynamics Lab
Yuki Shimahara
Founder & CEO, LPixel Inc.
Koichi Nakamura
Founder & CEO, Idein Inc.
Fumitaka Yamasaki
CEO, iXs Research Corp.
Takeshi Fukuda
Director, IBM Research – Tokyo / IBM Japan
Motoaki Saito
CEO, PEZY Computing
Ryota Kanai
Founder & CEO, ARAYA Brain Imaging
Ichiro Otobe
Director of Operations & Member of the Board, ZMP Inc.
Joshua Lachter
Vice President of Strategic Growth, ASAPP, Inc.
Rei Inamoto
Founding Partner/ Creative Director Inamoto & Co
Kaoru Hayashi
Representative Director & Group CEO, Digital Garage
Joichi Ito
Co-Founder of Digital Garage and current Director of the MIT Media Lab
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