Matt Bigelow

music, podcasts, and recordings from tokyo

Podcasts and self-produced music from Tokyo. AI trends from Tokyo, Asia News Analysis, Odd Japanese Items, and documenting the rising conflict in the Indo-Pacific region.

Filtering by Tag: migration

JAPAN WUT PODCAST 210 "TECHNOCRACY AT OSAKA EXPO"

Chappie (@Chapmano_TV) joins the podcast to discuss his boots on the ground analysis of the Osaka Expo 2025, and how it may be a training ground for our technocratic future. Do you want to live in a cashless society where the advanced technology is sequestered by the elites, the plebs are forced to eat soymeat okonomiyaki burgers, and everything is tracked by Blackrock-funded blockchain companies real time?

SHOW NOTES

Osaka Expo 2025 Society 5.0 and SDG Goals

Digitalized Osaka Expo Troubling Elderly Visitors

Future of aerial CO2 capture tech on display at Osaka Expo

Up to 200 people affected by Uzbek pavilion data leak at Osaka Expo

Self-driving bus at Osaka expo has minor collision with wall

'Flying car' demo flight canceled at Osaka Expo due to broken parts

JAPAN WUT PODCAST 209 "THE UNCONNECTED CONNECTED"


Why are Japan’s automakers doing so poorly? Is it wise for Japan to use seized Russian assets to fund Ukraine? How will facial recognition be used to personalize your cancer medication?

SHOW NOTES

JAPAN 

Nissan to post biggest ever loss in fiscal 2024 amid restructuring

Toyota truck arm Hino posts record net loss for FY 2024 on data fraud

Quality scandal sends Toyota global output down for 1st time in 4 years

Mazda to seek early retirement volunteers as industry shifts

China's fast-growing EV makers pursuing varied routes to global expansion

BYD to introduce mini EV model designed for Japan in 2026

SUPPLY CHAIN WAR

Moscow slams 'treacherous' Japanese loan to Ukraine using frozen Russian assets

U.S. Deploys Anti-Ship Missiles Near Taiwan in the Luzon Strait

Japanese warships dock at Cambodia's Chinese-renovated naval base

China Tests Novel Non-Nuclear Hydrogen Bomb - Generates Intense Fireball

China's Huawei to mass-produce new AI chips - sources

SOCIETY 5.0 

US unicorn venture ElevenLabs establishes Japanese subsidiary to strengthen Japanese language support for voice generation AI and as base for expansion into Asia

With Al removing accents

Artificial Intelligence in Telemedicine Market Projected to Grow from $18.7B to $157.3B by 2033, with CAGR of 26.7% Over Next 10 Years to Power Telemedicine and Diagnostic Solutions

NEC establishes secure cancer vaccine manufacturing process using facial recognition technology that does not store facial information

Japan's NTT Data partners with OpenAI to offer AI business tools

AI experiment to ease traffic congestion: Cameras detect vehicles and encourage detours 

New bill to promote AI development and utilization passed by House of Representatives plenary session, heads to House of Councillors

British self-driving AI company Wave opens development center in Yokohama, exploring collaboration with Japanese manufacturers

Turing, an autonomous driving tech company, borrows 1.3 billion yen from Mizuho Bank

JAPAN WUT PODCAST 208 "MECHANIZED PTERODACTYLUS FROM THE FUTURE"


Is the Osaka Expo being used as a technocratic training ground? How can supply chains can be weaponized asymmetrically? Would you talk to an AI-resurrected family member at their funeral?

SHOW NOTES

JAPAN DEPOPULATION / MIGRATION 

Japan’s Population Declines for Fourteenth Straight Year: Over-75 Cohort Continues to Grow

Japan faces severe shortage of carpenters as home prices soar

Teacher helps Myanmar people learn Japanese, escape hardships

SUPPLY CHAIN WAR

Japan 'deeply concerned' about global economic fallout from Trump's trade tariffs: Kato

Japan protests to Russia over ship restrictions near disputed islands

China says it detected salmonella in imported American poultry meats and bone meal

SOCIETY 5.0 / AI MARKETS

Osaka-Kansai Expo to be a springboard for widespread adoption of cashless payments and facial recognition

AI revives the deceased: new services emerge, even for funerals

Seven Bank's ATM facial recognition service strengthens measures against deep fakes and launches a year late

Waymo, which has begun to slowly roll out in Japan as a self-driving taxi

Shocking facts revealed in an experiment where an AI agent books a hotel room: How does an AI view online ads?

"That's what an AI agent will do": The background to hosting an AI agent hackathon at AWS Summit Japan 2025

DXYZ Introduces Facial Recognition Platform "FreeiD" to Chuetsu Pulp Industry's Tokyo Headquarters

AI semiconductors evolve surveillance cameras: NTT develops new camera that can detect up to 150 meters ahead

4 arrested in Japan for selling explicit AI-created posters

JAPAN WUT PODCAST 197 "AI ARMS RACE"

How did a leaked document from 2018 predict Japan’s connection to China’s supercharged AI programs? If 30% of Japan’s population become foreign-born, should they be entitled to vote? What is going on with Japan’s investments in AI agents?

SHOW NOTES

SOCIETY 5.0

Over the past week, DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup, released its R1 model, which outperforms leading AI models at a lower cost, causing a significant market reaction. Nvidia's stock plummeted, losing nearly $600 billion, due to DeepSeek's claim of using less advanced chips and debates over data usage. Security issues emerged as DeepSeek exposed sensitive data, leading to quick action to secure it.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi has commented on the need to balance innovation with risk management regarding DeepSeek.

In response, the U.S. Navy banned DeepSeek due to security concerns, and the Pentagon blocked its use after connections to Chinese servers. Nvidia shares slightly recovered, but the market remains volatile. In China, DeepSeek's success is celebrated, despite facing cyberattacks and scrutiny over data handling. 

One of DeepSeek's innovations was:

  1. Cold-Start Data Integration: Before applying reinforcement learning (RL), DeepSeek incorporates cold-start data, which includes carefully curated, long Chains of Thought (CoT) examples. This helps in refining the model's initial performance by addressing issues like endless repetition, poor readability, and language mixing, while also setting the stage for more effective RL.

Italy blocks access to the Chinese AI application DeepSeek to protect users' data

(Orig. from 2018) Scoop: Trump team considers nationalizing 5G network

Secure 5G PDF

OpenAI tailors version of ChatGPT for U.S. government

SoftBank in talks to invest up to $25 billion into OpenAI, FT reports

Open AI announces launch of "AI Agent" for autonomous reservations, etc.

BrainPad, a new company specializing in AI agents

Accenture evolves as AI agents hold business meetings with each other

Accenture Launches AI Refinery for Industry to Accelerate Adoption of Industry-Specific AI Agents and Transform Business Processes

Strengthening collaboration with Secure to jointly develop surveillance camera solution using AI agents

Nexar teams up with Japan Post for project to improve road conditions and support accelerated deployment of autonomous vehicles

Indian company orders 50 ‘flying cars’ from Aichi-based SkyDrive

Trying out the AI camera drone "HOVERAir X1 Smart" - a palm-sized "personal photographer"

SGOTW

Ukraine man pleads not guilty to charges of smuggling 113 kg of drugs

Canadian executive accused of smuggling 320 kg of meth into Japan

Four Vietnamese suspected in theft of 11 cars in Tochigi

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