Digital Garage Hosts THE NEW CONTEXT CONFERENCE TOKYO 2023 Summer Under the Theme of “Building a New Global Community with Gen AI”

– DG will host THE NEW CONTEXT CONFERENCE TOKYO 2023 Summer (NCC TOKYO 2023 Summer), a conference to discuss “New Context” for a digital society, on June 8, 2023.

This conference is designed for those interested in exploring cutting-edge Internet technologies and the businesses that emerge around them. To prepare a value-based society globally, it focuses on “New Context” that contribute to the development of society and is intended to deepen understanding through discussions between experts and participants. This will be the twenty-fifth conference since the first one was held in 2005.

NCC TOKYO 2023 Summer will be hosted by Kaoru Hayashi and Joichi Ito, the co-founders of Digital Garage, Inc. (TSE Prime section: 4819; HQ: Tokyo; Representative Director, President Executive Officer and Group CEO: Kaoru Hayashi; DG), who have been at the forefront of the Internet since its initial stage.

Since the advent of the World Wide Web almost 30 years ago, Internet business has developed along with the evolution of technology. The first web browser to mix images and text, “Mosaic,” which was developed in 1993, expanded the possibilities of the Internet. Since then, many users have entered the world of the Internet using browsers such as “Internet Explorer” and “Google Chrome” came into play, guiding us into a new era where the “search” became an integral part of our web experience.

Around 2000, we saw the emergence of E-Commerce, a rise in consumer-generated media (CGM) and blogs, as well as the birth of social networking services (SNS), notably with “Twitter” in 2006. The “Blockchain” technology gained attention in the mid-2010s, fueling the concept of web3. In the history of the Internet, technology waves have occurred in 7 to 8 year cycles. The big wave of the next-generation of AI, including Gen AI, is now arriving, indicating the enormous change in the “IT business ecosystem” on a scale yet to be seen.

At the 25th NCC TOKYO 2023 Summer, the theme will be “Building a New Global Community with Gen AI.” We aim to deepen our understanding of how Gen AI will shape our lives and the business ecosystem through engaging discussions with experts in various fields.

This conference will also discuss what we should work on to lead the world in technology and regulations for implementing Gen AI, as well as the changing behavior on the Internet and the business ecosystem that will be affected by this technology.

Guests include; Lili Cheng, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Cloud and AI division; Akihisa Shiozaki, Member of the House of Representatives; Professor Yutaka Matsuo of the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Engineering; and Taichiro Motoe, President of Bengo4.com, Inc., as well as other industry experts on next-generation technologies to consider the shape of future society.

In addition, we plan to have startup pitches by inviting DG Group’s investees/supporters working in the Gen AI area worldwide.

【Event outline】
・Date and time: June 8 (Thursday), 2023, 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. (PST)
・Form of Event: Online
・Organizer: Digital Garage, Inc.
・Collaboration partner: Kakaku.com, Inc., DG Lab^*1, Open Network Lab, BI.Garage, Inc., Digital Architecture Lab^*2, Crypto Garage, Inc.
・Official website: https://ncc.garage.co.jp/2023summer/en/
・Participation: Free
・How to register: Peatix (https://ncctokyo2023summer.peatix.com)
・Host:
Kaoru Hayashi (DG Representative Director, President Executive Officer and Group CEO / Kakaku.com, Inc. Executive Chairman)
Joichi Ito (DG Board member, and Senior Managing Executive Officer and Chief Architect)

*The information of speakers and programs will be updated on the official website as needed.
*This information is current as of the date of the announcement. Program contents and speaker information are subject to change. Please be forewarned.

*1: An open innovation research organization operated by Digital Garage, Inc. and Kakaku.com, Inc. with the aim of creating new businesses. (https://www.dglab.com/en/)
*2: Digital Architecture Lab is a research organization established by Digital Garage to design and promote the implementation of next-generation social structures driven by the evolution of technology in 2022. (https://dalab.xyz/en/)

【Speakers】

Lili Cheng, Corporate Vice President at Microsoft, leads the Emerging Technology Group for Business Applications in the Cloud and AI division. She focuses on driving innovation and delivering AI-driven products in Conversational & Copilot Applied AI, and Industrial Metaverse /Frontline experiences and services. A member of the National Academy of Engineering/Computer Science, she has a rich history with Microsoft Research, founding the Social Computing Group and Futures Social Experiences (FUSE Labs). Prior to Microsoft, she was part of Apple Computer’s Advanced Technology Group, where she developed QuickTime Conferencing and QuickTime VR. Serving on advisory boards for AI4All and Connected Camps, she actively promotes diverse AI talent and online learning, and she has delivered keynotes and interviews at prominent events such as Wired, Time Magazine, Forbes, Fast Company and O’Reilly Media. She is also a licensed architect, and she designed large-scale commercial projects in Tokyo and Los Angeles, including Canary Wharf in London. has also taught classes at Harvard Graduate School of Design, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, and Cornell University School of Architecture Art and Planning, and was born in Tokyo, Japan.

Akihisa Shiozaki serves as Member of Japan’s House of Representatives, and is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party, representing District No. 1 of the Ehime prefecture. Before his political career, he was a partner in the law firm Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu, both in Japan and abroad. Awarded Lawyer of the Year in Asia by a specialist magazine (2017, compliance category); ranked second in the Nikkei Lawyer Rankings (2020). Former secretary to the cabinet secretary (2006-2007). He studied at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was the first Japanese to be elected student government president at a primary Western MBA school. Currently, as Secretary General of the PT on the Evolution and Implementation of AI in the LDP’s Headquarters for the Promotion of Digital Society, he drafted the AI White Paper released in April this year. Other roles include secretary-general of the party’s web3PT, deputy secretary-general of the party’s Reform Implementation Headquarters, and secretary-general of the Impact Start-up Support PT of the Parliamentary Assembly for Start-up Promotion.

Yutaka is a professor at Graduate School of Engineering, the University of Tokyo. He received his BS, MS, and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Tokyo in 1997, 1999, and 2002. After working at National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) and Stanford University, he joined the faculty of University of Tokyo in 2007. At Japan Society for Artificial Intelligence (JSAI), he has served as Editor-in-chief and the chair of the ELSI committee, and has been a board member since 2020. He is the president of Japan Deep Learning Association (JDLA), and a member of the board of directors at SoftBank Group Corp. He is also a member of the Council of New Form of Capitalism Realization under the Prime Minister. He is working on artificial intelligence, especially on deep learning and web mining.

Graduated from Keio University Faculty of Law. Passed the former judicial examination in 1999, and joined Anderson Mori & Tomotsune in 2001, where he practiced M&A and finance. He founded Bengo4.com,Inc. and Authense Law Office in 2005. In 2014, he became the first lawyer and president of Authense Law Office in Japan to be listed with the Market of the high-growth and emerging stocks of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. In 2016, he was elected to the House of Councillors in the regular election as an official candidate of the Liberal Democratic Party from the Chiba Prefecture electoral area. Serve as Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Finance in 2020 and Chairman of the Education and Science Committee in 2021, before retiring from the House of Councillors at the end of 2022 and returning as President and Representative Director of Bengo4.com,Inc. and Representative of Authense Law Office.

Motoko studied History of Art at Sotheby’s upon graduation from Doshisha University Faculty of Economics. She launched WIRED Japan in 1994 at Dohosha Publishing, Inc. Since then, she has founded online media enterprise Mediagene Inc. in 1998 (former headquarters of Infobahn Group) , digital agency INFOBAHN Inc. in 2015 through an incorporation-type company split, and a Dentsu Institute fellow in 2018-19.
She now oversees15 digital media brands, including the business news media “Business Insider Japan,” tech news media “GIZMODO JAPAN” and “Lifehacker Japan.” She is also one of the first people to have won the “Web Person” prize at the Web Grand Prix 2013.
She serves as a committee member of Keizai Doyukai (Japan Association of Corporate Executives) .

Aug 2022 – Regional Vice President Japan, Microsoft Advertising, Microsoft Japan.
Aug 2016 – Founder and CEO, zonari, LLC. Marketing Consultant.
May 2010 – Aug 2016 COO, Atala, LLC.
September 2009 – April 2010 Head of Sales, Admob Japan.
April 2007 – August 2009 Google, Senior Manager, Sales Strategy and Planning.
Jan 2004 – Mar 2007 Account Manager and Account Executive, Sales, Overture K.K.
July 2000 – August 2003, Staff Writer and Associate Managing Editor, Nikkei BP, Inc.
April 1999 – May 2000 Senior Manager, Japan Directory Department, LookSmart, Ltd.

Based on the motto, “Technology makes communities more livable,” he is actively involved in various communities beyond the company’s boundaries. He is driving “Civic Tech,” a technology that enables residents, government, and businesses to co-create a better society in Japan. He is also CEO of Georepublic UG, a system development company using open-source GIS, and President of HackCamp which supports corporate open innovation. He also drives “Civic Tech” as a senior expert at the Digital Agency, and supports the government’s shift to open governance, data utilization, and digital applications as Chief Innovation Officer for the City of Kobe and Chief Digital Service Fellow for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

Shiho has worked at Morgan Stanley (IBD), Google, Mercari US, ELSA Speak, and various startups. With experience working in Japan, South East Asia, Europe, Africa, Silicon Valley, and DC, she brings a unique perspective. She holds degrees from ICU and Stanford University. She has been advising Shibuya City since 2021 and has been in her current role since February 2023.

After graduating from university, worked mainly in the Internet/software industry at Boston Consulting Group’s Tokyo/Seoul offices, Participated in the launch of GREE International’s Silicon Valley office in the U.S., worked on large-scale log analysis for web products. D. in Machine Learning at Matsuo Lab. Appointed as Assistant Professor at Matsuo Lab. Founded PKSHATechnology in 2012. Engaged as a WG member of the Digital Market Competition Council, Cabinet Secretariat, and as a member of the Study Committee on how to put AI principles into practice, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Selected as one of the Young Global Leaders YGL2020 by the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland.

Atsuhiro graduated from Keio University in 1997 with a degree in Economics. He worked as a consultant at Andersen Consulting (currently Accenture Japan Ltd.), where he was involved in business reform and IT implementation promotion for major Japanese companies. In October 2004, he joined Kakaku.com, Inc. and founded “Tabelog” in March 2005. Since then, “Tabelog” has grown to become the No.1 gourmet website in terms of number of users. He has also been working on the business side of the site, focusing on the billing service for restaurants, which was launched in April 2009. He became Director from 2012. He also currently serves as an Outside Director, Bengo4.com, Inc.

Ken writes editorials and commentaries about the tech industry, technology-related policy and Asian affairs based out of Tokyo. Prior to the current role, he was a Nikkei Asia Editor-at-large based first in Southeast Asia and then in India for seven years through March 2021. Prior to that, he was the Founding Publisher of the Nikkei Asian Review (renamed to Nikkei Asia in 2020), after leading online service development projects for the Japanese Nikkei daily. After joining Nikkei Inc. in the late 1980’s, he has covered such beats as the Japanese capital markets, financial and technology sectors in Tokyo. He was Nikkei’s Silicon Valley bureau chief in the 2000’s, covering the U.S. tech sector.