Center for Human-Nature, Artificial Intelligence, and Neuroscience (CHAIN) established

Hokkaido University launched the Center for Human-Nature, Artificial Intelligence, and Neuroscience, or CHAIN, in July 2019. It will conduct interdisciplinary research and education at the intersection of humanities, artificial intelligence, and neuroscience. The inaugural symposium was held at the university's Sapporo Campus on July 23rd to unravel its vision and ambitious plans for research and graduate-level education. At the symposium, Professor Shigeru Taguchi, the Director of CHAIN, said, "Recent developments in neuroscience and artificial intelligence have made it possible for scientists to tackle problems that have been traditionally explored in humanities, such as consciousness, emotion, and self," explaining the ever-increasing demand for the integration of humanities and science. "We would like to open up new directions in understanding'what human beings are'."