The Saitama prefectural police, in collaboration with NTT East Corp., have successfully tested an AI-based telephone fraud detection system in Iruma, Saitama Prefecture. This innovative technology aims to combat fraudulent activities by promptly notifying victims' family members and neighbors whenever suspicious calls are identified. During a demonstration on July 27 th , a 74-year-old man received a call from an individual claiming to be his son, urgently requesting $34,000 for medical expenses following an accident. Through an AI-equipped device connected to the man's landline, the call was swiftly flagged as fraudulent based on the caller's message. T he system then automatically dialed registered contact numbers of family members, neighbors, and banks, issuing warnings about the detected fraudulent call. The trial, which took place from July 25 th to 28 th , involved the installation of devices on the landlines of eight households within the city. In one instance,...

If you're a senior citizen in Japan, you might be surprised to find out that many of your peers in their sixties are still in the workforce. A survey conducted by Kakehashi Skysolutions found that 66% of the respondents, all past the retirement age of 60, were still employed. Among those who were still working, the most common employment status was that of a contract employee, regardless of their age. However, 78% of those still working belonged to the 60-64 age group, and 51% of this subgroup were working for their original company under a continued-employment arrangement.   It's important to note that continued employment does not necessarily mean rehiring as a regular employee. Many companies in Japan offer continued-employment arrangements that provide benefits and job security but may not offer the same benefits as regular employment.   The survey also revealed that income from their current job was the primary source of income for 65% of those under 65 who do n...

Japan has been at the forefront of robotics research and development for decades, and one of the areas where it has sought to apply this technology is in elder care. The country has a rapidly aging population, with over a quarter of its citizens over the age of 65. The hope was that robots could help provide care for this growing demographic and alleviate the burden on human caregivers. However, Japan’s long experiment in automating elder care has not been as successful as many had hoped, and the failure of projects like Robear illustrate some of the challenges that still need to be overcome. Robear is a robot developed by the RIKEN-SRK Collaboration Center for Human-Interactive Robot Research in Japan. It was designed to be a friendly and versatile robot that could assist in the care of elderly and disabled people. Its appearance was inspired by a bear, with a round body and cuddly features that were meant to put patients at ease. However, despite its cute appearance, Robear has not b...