Two Japanese scientists among this year's Nobel laureates shared the view on Monday that humans are still necessary despite the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence, during a forum at their alma mater, Kyoto University.
It was the first public dialogue between Shimon Sakaguchi and Susumu Kitagawa since they received the Nobel prizes in medicine and chemistry, respectively, last month. Both are 74 years old and entered Kyoto University in the same year, 1970.
Kitagawa, a distinguished professor at Kyoto University, noted that while AI is highly useful, "human input is still needed." He gave an example, saying that although AI excels at producing output such as theses, people are required to feed it data.
Sakaguchi, a distinguished professor at the University of Osaka, agreed, saying, "AI is something to be used, not something that uses us." He said AI can improve medical diagnoses but added, "Humans decide what's new and important in research."
Both laureates experienced campus unrest during their university years, when classes and exams were often suspended. Kitagawa recalled that the situation provided them with time to read widely and study various languages.
Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi's teaching on the "usefulness of uselessness," which he encountered as a student, continues to influence Kitagawa's research today, he said.
He expressed hope that young people will also engage with philosophy and literature during their studies, saying it will deepen their understanding of science.
Sakaguchi, who paints as a hobby, agreed that exposure to the humanities enriches scientific thinking, saying, "Science and art are similar."