We are pleased to announce that the 24th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society for Baby Studies will be held at the University of Tokyo from August 24 (Sat.) to 25 (Sun.), 2024. Under the theme of "Baby Science with AI," we will discuss how the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in recent years has affected baby development and research methods from an interdisciplinary and international perspective.
AI technology has made a wide spectrum of contributions to baby science. Most notably, innovations in measurement and analysis methods have made it possible to examine infant behavior and physiological signals at the microscopic level through highly accurate AI-based data collection and analysis techniques. This has allowed us to capture subtle changes that are often overlooked by conventional methods and have deepened our understanding of the complex dynamics of development.
Additionally, AI has been used as a stimulus in behavioral experiments with infants and toddlers: dynamic, interactive stimulus presentation systems designed with AI technology have enabled more controlled experimental designs, eliciting infants' attention and responses in a natural way. This allows for a more systematic view of continuous and diverse developmental phenomena.
Another important contribution that AI has made to baby science is its application as a developmental modeling technique. Research is also underway to construct predictive models by simulating the developmental process of infants using neural circuit models and robotics technology, in an attempt to elucidate the mechanisms of development in a structured manner. AI-based modeling research provides important clues to elucidate developmental principles, which are difficult to achieve through analysis of diverse phenomena alone.
As described above, advances in AI are revolutionizing research methods in baby science and bringing new findings beyond the conventional framework. At this academic conference, we will deepen the discussions for further development of baby science through the sharing of these cutting-edge research results and technologies.
We hope that all participants will have a meaningful time through active discussions and knowledge exchanges. We also hope that this conference will help to promote your research activities and create new opportunities for collaboration.
General Chair of the 24th Congress of the Japanese Society of Baby Science
Project Professor, International Research Center for Neurointelligence, The University of Tokyo
Yukie Nagai