Progress Report

Development of “Jizai Hon-yaku-ki (At-will Translator)” connecting various minds based on brain and body functions[6] Ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) involved in Jizai Hon-yaku-ki

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Progress until FY2023

1. Outline of the project

In R&D Item 6, we analyze the ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) involved in this R&D project to make Jizai Hon-yaku-ki socially acceptable.

Privacy issues may be salient in Jizai Hon-yaku-ki. / Protecting participants is our utmost priority.

Since Jizai Hon-yaku-ki builds on emerging biology and neuroscience, it may cause various ethical concerns re-garding privacy and unfamiliar forms of communication. Also, our highest priority is to protect the rights of partici-pants in our R&D. Jizai Hon-yaku-ki should reduce — ra-ther than worsen — discrimination against people with developmental conditions.
The primary task of our R&D Item 6 is to investigate these potential issues from theoretical and practical standpoints. This sub-project also aims to provide future-oriented in-sights into neurodiversity and (supported) communication.

2. Outcome so far

  1. ELSI Review Meeting with External Experts
  2. Exchanged opinios and hearing and analyzing concerns with scholars
  3. Deliberation on the nature and method of Jizai Hon-yaku-ki and the current status of related interna-tional regulatory frameworks

Outcome 1: In March 2023, an ELSI review meeting was held in Sendai. We invited Dr. Saeko Aketani (Tokyo U), who specializes in risk management related to conflicts of interest and research and practice of data utilization, and Dr. Eisuke Nakazawa (Tokyo U), who specializes in bioethics. They engaged in in-depth discussions on various scenarios for the use of Jizai Hon-yaku-ki. The meeting revealed the need for further deliberation to implement Jizai Hon-yaku-ki, and we are planning a next ELSI review meeting.

Outcome 1 — The first ELSI review meeting
Outcome 1 — The first ELSI review meeting
Source: https://jizai2050.org/inside-story/870

Outcome 2: At the project meetings held in September 2023 and March 2024, we discussed with scholars. Follow-ing research presentations at these meetings, we analyzed concerns and issues related to ELSI and shared them with scholars. Furthermore, we presented and shared this content at the Goal 9 overall meeting.

Outcome 3 — Current status of international regulations related to Jizai Hon-yaku-ki and our response
Outcome 3 — Current status of international regulations related to Jizai Hon-yaku-ki and our response

Outcome 3: We have recognized that it is crucial to estab-lish a framework whereby users can autonomously assess the purchase, usage, benefits, and risks of implementing Jizai Hon-yaku-ki. Furthermore, examining the current state of international regulations, there are significant concerns regarding the regulations on research based on the EU's AI Act. These insights have been documented and shared within the research team.

3. Future plans

We go on with the ongoing collaboration between scholars from various academic disciplines to achieve con-sensus on important ELSI on our R&D project.
Our R&D Item 6 is broadening further the scope of issues addressed. We also have a plan to compile a recommendation/opinion document, or a “guidebook,” to address various ELSI-related problems attributed to Jizai Hon-yaku-ki and communication aids in general.
(Tohoku U: N. Osumi, S. Hara)

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