#Japan #Tokyo #Web3 Technology #Dentsu Group #Panasonic HD

A New Era of Education with Web3 and AI Avatars

Dentsu Group, a leading advertising and public relations firm based in Tokyo, has embarked on a groundbreaking initiative in education technology. Together with Panasonic Holdings Corporation and other partners, Dentsu's R&D organization, Dentsu Innovation Initiative (DII), aims to transform learning environments through the development of a self-sovereign information environment. This project, set to take place during the Yoichi Ochiai Summer School 2025, will harness Web3 technologies, including AI avatars, to enhance the educational experience for students.

The Yoichi Ochiai Summer School has been a platform since 2016, primarily targeted at junior high and middle school students. Its mission is to foster creativity, problem-solving skills, and social perspectives among participants through interactions and practical learning experiences. Despite interruptions due to the pandemic, the program strives for its 10th year in 2025, featuring a theme focused on “dialogue to create the future.” This program includes lectures from renowned researcher Yoichi Ochiai, along with workshops designed to deepen learning through interaction and discussion.

The necessity of having safe and open discussions in educational settings has become increasingly apparent. Teachers and students often face restrictions due to privacy concerns associated with digital interactions and communication logs managed by service providers. This can hinder the essential process of questioning and hypothesizing in learning. Amid rapid advancements in generative AI and blockchain technologies, there arises a greater demand for approaches that ensure self-management of sensitive data, such as personal identities and learning histories.

The upcoming project will focus on two main initiatives that explore the potential of Web3 in education:

1. Enhancing Self-Understanding through Private AI Dialogue: Every participant in the Yoichi Ochiai Summer School will engage with a personal AI avatar designed uniquely for them. Students will control conversations with their avatars, which will be linked to their identities through NFTs, securely managed via a Web3 wallet. This will deepen their introspection and understanding of themselves through ongoing dialogue with their AI avatar. Furthermore, peer-to-peer communication will be fostered through the creation of “Peer NFTs,” allowing conversations among students who share similar information environments. Ultimately, students will be encouraged to project their identities through exposure to different AI environments.



2. Visualizing Learning Relationships through NFT-Based Structures: During the summer school, students will create and manage digital representations of the relationships they build with Yoichi Ochiai and their teaching assistants. These interactions will generate an NFT-linked social graph, documenting the educational connections and geographical information tied to learning activities. This innovative management system will allow students to oversee their social relationships and interactions without compromising personal data. As a result, they can unveil their identities to the public, potentially establishing a foundation of trust that may invite support and incentives from others in the community.

Dentsu Group aims to advance the standardization of self-sovereign identity management in education and across social infrastructure. In collaboration with Panasonic and various educational institutions, the goal is to explore new societal structures empowered by Web3 technologies.

The implications of this research extend beyond simple technological upgrades; they signify a shift towards empowering students to take charge of their educational journeys. As educational environments increasingly integrate technology, such initiatives may reshape how knowledge is imparted and retained, along with improving the social fabric of learning communities. By prioritizing self-management and privacy, Dentsu Group, Panasonic, and other collaborators are paving the way for more meaningful and secure educational interactions in the future.

Dentsu Group remains committed to fostering these educational innovations through collaborations with local governments, educational institutions, and private enterprises, ultimately aiming for a robust societal structure facilitated by Web3.