Japan Grants Citizenship to AI Robot

AI ‘boy’ Shibuya Mirai granted residency in central Tokyo

Shibuya Mirai Resident Certificate

Following in the footsteps of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Japan has now officially granted residence to artificial intelligence. The country of the rising sun has given the special status of a 7-year-old boy named Shibuya Mirai. However, what makes Mirai special is not his success in obtaining a special permanent resident certificate, but his unique identity.

Actually, Shibuya Mirai is an ‘Artificial Intelligence’ similar to a child’s thinking and Mirai did not have physical bodies. Despite not having a physical head, foot, hand, or body, they program Mirai to look like a boy who likes to talk and never feels tired. He can have text conversations with humans on the widely used LINE messaging app.

“Line messenger” by n.bhupinder is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Shibuya Mirai — the first name a reference to the popular fashion district in the city of Tokyo with a population of around 224,000 people that attracts many young people, and the last name of Mirai translating to “future”. Whether you call it an anthem or a subtle reference, the message is unmistakable in this case: the future of technology lies with the youth.