AI and self-driving cars: how should we implement these cutting-edge technologies in our society? This is the fundamental question for the concept of “social implementation” in the context of technology. During the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, in which advanced technologies are used in tandem as part of one larger highly sophisticated system, implementing these technologies may require us to significantly modify our existing daily behaviours and social structures. Though these technologies may be beneficial, implementation will certainly face significant barriers, controversy, and even resistance, as they may completely change our society.
What is “social implementation”? (“Social implementation (社会実装)” is a word widely used in Japan to express the diffusion of a specific technology.) Why are we struggling with it? Starting with these fundamental questions, the Social Implementation of Technology project conducted research to create a better framework for social implementation within Japanese society. This research was based on studies and interviews collected from our working group, which operated from April 2019 to August 2020.
We selected representative sectors in our society and investigated the success and failure of social implementation in each field. For the purpose of this research, we interviewed over 30 people including startup owners, public officials, members of the Diet, local legislators, NPOs, and researchers to get their perspective on the following question: How do we conduct social implementation from the “demand side” of solving social problems, and not the technology-based “supply side”? We developed proposals based on our four pillars of research – impact, ethical risks, governance, and “sense-making” – and provided a specific framework and tools for improved social implementation. Our research has been published in “Mirai wo Jisso Suru [Implementing the future]” (Eiji Press, 2021) written by the chairperson of our project, UMADA Takaaki.