10,000 students enrolled in the April issue of Kodomo Challenge Hoppu, a course for younger children, will be selected in a drawing to receive monitors.
- The following is content from the press release -
(Head Office: Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture; President: Hitoshi Kobayashi; hereinafter "Benesse") and SOFTBANK Robotics Corporation (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Fumihide Tomizawa; hereinafter "SOFTBANK Robotics") have jointly developed a new conversational (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Fumihide Tomizawa) have jointly developed "Shimajiro," a new conversational AI for young children equipped with generative AI.
It is believed that children who will live in the "rapidly changing future" will need more than ever before such qualities as "communication skills," "independence and initiative," and "problem-solving skills. Benesse was considering the development of a service that utilizes generative AI to nurture the "richness of language," which is the foundation of these qualities, by leveraging its 35 years of experience in preschool education accumulated through the "Kodomo Challenge" program. SoftBank Robotics, which has a wealth of experience in robot development and "knowledge in the use of generative AI," agreed with this idea, and the two companies decided to jointly develop the service. This time, as part of the research and development, 10,000 monitors will be recruited exclusively from the students of "HOPPU," a Kodomo Challenge course for young children, to experience the service free of charge. We will continue to brush up the system for full-scale introduction in the future, taking into account the many opinions of our customers. Details for full-scale introduction in the future are under consideration by both companies.
AI "Shimajiro" Product Overview
The AI "Shimajiro" is used in combination with a dedicated smartphone application and a special "Shimajiro plush toy" that can hold the smartphone. The AI "Shimajiro" is equipped with a "chatting" function that allows children to converse freely with the AI "Shimajiro," which reproduces Shimajiro's voice, and a "play" function that allows children to engage in activities alone without getting bored. In addition, a dedicated website provides parents with reports on their child's emotions and interests during conversations.
1. "Chatting" function for free conversation with Shimajirushi
We have used our 35 years of experience with Kodomo Challenge to customize our own AI. Shimajiro will throw out conversation themes appropriate for young children, allowing them to naturally expand their vocabulary.
2. "Play" function that allows children to work alone
The site offers a full range of contents that children can enjoy with Shimajiru and continue to play by themselves, including "play" (more than 20 kinds) such as pretend games and association games, and "songs" and "stories" (more than 40 kinds) that can be sung together with Shimajiru.
3. All functions "English" compatible
The "Talk," "Play," "Song," and "Story" are available in English as well as Japanese. This is a great way for young children to acquire the foundation of English language skills they need to develop while conversing with Shimajiro.
4. Report to parents on the contents of conversations with Shimajiro
AI analyzes the "interests" and "feelings" that are revealed through "talking" and "playing" with Shimajiro, and displays a report on a dedicated website. In addition to helping you see your child's growth, the system can also help you discover and develop interests and likes that you may not have noticed.
For more information, please check the following URL
https://shimajiro.benesse.ne.jp/cp/35th/
How to provide
How to provide
10,000 students enrolled in the April issue of Kodomo Challenge Hoppu, a course for young children, will be selected in a drawing to receive a free copy of the course.
Application Page
https://shimajiro.benesse.ne.jp/cp/35th/
Application Period
Monitor applications will be accepted from February 27, 2024 (application deadline April 15, 2024)
Monitoring Period
Delivered to winners in mid-May and available until 7/31
During the monitoring period, we will also ask for your cooperation in providing feedback on the product through questionnaires and other means to help us improve the product.
Background of Research and Development and Monitoring Provision
The most recent environmental changes surrounding young children and their parents include an increase in the number of dual-earner households and an increase in the number of parents who are faced with the challenge of being too busy to fully engage with their children. Among them, the number of working mothers continues to increase by 18% compared to five years ago. (Figure 1).
On the other hand, it is believed that children living in the "rapidly changing future" will need "communication skills," "independence and initiative," and "problem-solving skills" more than ever before. According to a survey of parents conducted by Benesse in 2023, "communicating verbally" was second only to "lifestyle" as the ability they want their children to acquire, and they also want their children to acquire "basic academic skills" and "English language skills". The survey also shows a high need for "improving communication skills" and "developing English language skills," as well as for "improving lifestyle habits," despite their busy schedules (Figure 2).
In addition, the recent evolution of AI technology, especially "Generative AI" as typified by ChatGPT, has been dramatic, and many companies and services are considering implementing it. Benesse has also provided services that utilize generative AI in "free research" and "subject questions.
In response to such changes in customers and technological advancements, the two companies decided to jointly develop and monitor the service by leveraging the knowledge and expertise of Benesse's Kodomo Challenge in preschool education and SOFTBANK Robotics' extensive experience in robot development. This time, the service is positioned as R&D, and monitors will be invited to experience the service free of charge, and we will continue to brush up the service for full-scale introduction in the future, referring to many customer opinions. Details for full-scale introduction in the future are under discussion between the two companies.
Benesse is a board member of "Generative AI Japan" and SOFTBANK Robotics is a member company of "Generative AI Japan", which is the reason for this joint development. We at "Generative AI Japan" will continue to increase the number of cases of such collaboration between companies in the future.
reference information
About Benesse Kodomo Challenge
Kodomo Challenge continues to provide products and services that support families and expand children's potential through developmentally appropriate play and learning. In April 2023, Kodomo Challenge will celebrate its 35th anniversary, and will continue to offer products and services that support children's growth, such as English language materials, TV programs, and concerts, in response to the declining birthrate, the increase in dual-earner families, and changes in society such as the shift to DX. Kodomo Challenge continues to change in line with changes in society, such as the declining birthrate, the increasing number of working families, and the shift to DX, by digitizing its teaching materials and updating its character settings and visuals.
About SoftBank Robotics
SOFTBANK Robotics was the first to introduce the humanoid robot "Pepper" in 2014, and has developed and launched the cleaning robot "Whiz" and the food delivery and transport robot "Servi", and has also developed and launched various other products such as the floor cleaning robot "Scrubber 50" and the food delivery robot "Keenbot". Through the handling of these products, we have played a pioneering role as a global robot integrator (RI). Today, we have 12 offices around the world, and our products are used in more than 70 countries. Utilizing this global network, we will continue to pursue robot transformation (RX) based on our extensive experience and vast amount of operating data, and strive toward a society in which people and robots coexist in harmony.
About Generative AI Japan
Established in January 2024 with the aim of discussing the ideal state of utilization of generative AI in Japan. It aims to enhance Japan's industrial competitiveness by promoting the use of generative AI through industry-academia collaboration, developing rules and guidelines, and making proposals. The board of directors is headed by Professor Hiroaki Miyata of the Faculty of Medicine at Keio University, with 17 members appointed as directors and advisors, including experts from academia and leading-edge companies, and approximately 30 companies (as of January 2024) are members at the time of the launch.
