The 12th Kyoto University-Inamori Foundation Joint Kyoto Prize Symposium was held on 15 February 2026 at JP Tower Hall & Conference, Tokyo. The symposium has been held annually since 2014, and on this occasion, it was attended by a total of 262 people, including high school students, researchers, and other members of the public.
The theme of the 2026 symposium was "Will AI be Able to Do X?" It featured presentations by three speakers: Shin-ichi Minato, professor and vice-dean, Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University; Tatsuya Kawahara, professor, Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University; and Mihoko Otake, Team Director, Center for Advanced Intelligence Project, RIKEN. The lectures covered diverse topics, including the development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, AI's strengths and weaknesses, the use of AI to preserve and pass on endangered languages, and a conversation support robot developed to help prevent dementia.
After the lectures, the speakers participated in a panel discussion, moderated by Hiroko Kuniya, member of the Board of Trustees, Tokyo University of the Arts. During the discussion, the researchers shared their perspectives in response to questions from the audience. They also discussed the impact of AI's evolution and proliferation on human life, as well as the risks associated with utilizing AI.
Audience feedback included the following comments: "Each presentation was meaningful, covering not only the fundamental structure of AI, but also new discoveries and revisions to existing knowledge." "Despite the specialized and challenging aspects, the explanations were easy to understand and made the topics relatable to everyday issues, which I found very interesting. I gained insight into how research is carried forward and developed in various ways, and I hope that we can continue sharing information across generations."
