On February 10, NTT, Inc. and TBS Holdings, Inc. announced the launch of the "e6 project," a joint initiative to create next-generation edutainment that nurtures children's "ability to make their own decisions" in a society where generative AI is becoming increasingly widespread.
The project defines that "edutainment" is a "learning through enjoyment" approach that blends education and entertainment. The goal of the project is to bring entertainment experiences to society: the kind of "foundational, formative experiences" through which children discover what they love and what they want to do-all while absorbed in play.
We have entered an era in which generative AI can instantly deliver not only vast amounts of knowledge, but also countless ideas and "plausible-sounding answers." In this environment, the project believes that what truly matters for children is the ability to judge for themselves-to decide "which option to choose" and "what they genuinely want"-from among an endless array of choices. "Emotion," seen as the very source of that will, is regarded as a "compass" for making choices that are truly one's own.
Rather than positioning AI as a "subject to be studied," the project designs all content around "stories" and "experiences" that move the heart. The project believes that experiences in which children become wholly absorbed in play and feel genuine emotion are the very driving force that awakens a strong sense of "this is what I love" and "this is what I want to do."
As a concrete step, the project will go forward with creating original IP and establishing a permanent experience venue called the "AI Theme Park" (provisional name).
The first IP is an adventure fantasy titled "Emotional Knight," which uses storytelling through which children discover their own values on a quest to find "invisible emotions." The characters and stories born from the project will be developed across multiple media formats-including anime, games, and merchandise-and extended into real-world experiences.
The project will also carry out business verification toward the establishment of an "AI Theme Park" (provisional name), a venue where visitors can experience the world of the original IP in a real-world setting. At this venue, advanced technology will be used to capture changes in children's behavior and emotions in real time, delivering personalized experiences in which the story and environment adapt to each individual.
To make this happen, the project will draw on a "co-creation" framework that combines the strengths of both companies. By combining the assets of each, it will create experiences that support children's "inquiries" and "decision-making." The NTT Group will integrate advanced technologies-including the next-generation information and communications infrastructure IOWN (Innovative Optical and Wireless Network) and NTT's proprietary LLM "tsuzumi 2"-and embed them into experiences as the "infrastructure of play."
To promote "inquiry-based learning," which is seen to be increasingly important in the years ahead, TBS has established a new dedicated edutainment division, the "Edutainment Business Center." As one of the project's key pillars, TBS will draw on its long-cultivated creative and storytelling capabilities to build a "world" in which children can pose their own questions and become fully immersed.
The two companies plan to announce the details of the first experience content and how to participate in late February.
This article has been translated by JST with permission from The Science News Ltd. (https://sci-news.co.jp/). Unauthorized reproduction of the article and photographs is prohibited.