By SHUNSAKU KAI/ Staff Writer
September 11, 2020 at 08:00 JST
A scene from a demo clip in which Seika Kyomachi requests that viewers share information with her to help inform her future conversations (Taken from a promotional video provided by Seika municipal government)
SEIKA, Kyoto Prefecture--Fans of the adorable Seika Kyomachi, the town of Seika’s popular mascot, will soon be able to carry on a conversation with the digital character.
The small town, located between Kyoto and Nara, is collaborating with NTT Communication Science Laboratories to develop artificial intelligence capabilities for the mascot.
The plan would allow Seika Kyomachi to answer questions from visitors and locals about tourism and municipal administration.
Seika officials announced the project in July, and aim to put the AI-driven character into practical use in November.
The town introduced Seika Kyomachi as its official mascot in 2013 and has long pioneered new ways to use the cute character. It created a computer-animated 3-D representation of her for promotional videos.
Her duties include attracting attention to the "furusato nozei" hometown tax payment program, which allows people who do not live there to donate part of their tax payments to the town.
The mascot has gained a following. Seika Kyomachi has about 10,000 followers across her social media accounts, officials said.
Once the character is equipped with the "Narikiri AI" dialogue technology developed by the research lab, it can take on new ambassadorial duties by interacting with residents and visitors.
Seika Kyomachi will learn and grow as she collects information provided by residents about their communities. The town office will also provide it with administrative information so that she can respond comprehensively to questions, officials said.
The developer also intends to make her facial expressions and movements more realistic based on feedback from fans.
"It is a unique opportunity to put the technology to use," said Takeshi Yamada, director of NTT Communication Science Laboratories.
Residents hoping to spread the word about their hometown can also get in on the fun, with officials collecting information about the local area through the town’s official website until the end of September.
"We'd like to receive a wide variety of information on topics ranging from food to cultural assets," an official said.
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