Psychology Can Be Utilized More in Business!: DaiGo (Part 1)

"Going to Meet the People I Want to Meet!" Episode 7 features DaiGo, the mentalist, meeting with Fumi Hitozuka from Dentsu Inc.'s Event & Space Design Bureau. DaiGo recently leverages psychological insights for business development and corporate consulting. Hitozuka has been exploring the potential to connect his own interests in AI research and communication strategies for "enhancing experiential value" with mentalism.

Interview Structure: Aki Kanahara, Dentsu Inc. Event & Space Design Bureau

 

 

The purpose of life is "maximizing knowledge"

Nitō: I've created project teams focused on artificial intelligence, and currently work in the Experience Technology Department of Dentsu Inc. Event & Space Design Bureau, exploring technological solutions to enhance the experiential value of events and spaces.

I had four reasons for wanting to meet DaiGo. First, his background researching artificial intelligence. Second, his practical work enhancing real-world experiential value. Third, his expertise as a mentalist—understanding the power of the subconscious or subliminal mind. And finally, since DaiGo reads extensively across academic papers, I hoped we might find common ground between business and academia, which aligns with Dentsu Inc.'s work.

DaiGo: I see. My life's purpose is "maximizing knowledge," and I originally thought I just wanted to live by reading books relentlessly. The first thing I decided in university was not to participate in job hunting. So I figured I had to either stay at university and do research or start something on my own.
At university, I studied materials science—specifically metals—rather than the algorithm-based research that's popular these days. My research focused on magnetic materials.

Nitta: Metals? Wow!

DaiGo: The metal I researched at Keio's Faculty of Science and Technology, called spin glass, is a mixture of magnetic and non-magnetic materials. Normally, magnets only point up or down, so they can only take values of 0 or 1. But with spin glass, it's like a three-dimensional box packed full of manganese particles. The magnets point in all sorts of directions, so it can take on an infinite number of values.

With binary memory, if you have four magnets lined up, you get 2 ways × 2 ways × 2 ways × 2 ways, so you can only record 16 different pieces of information, right? But with spin glass, theoretically, you can capture the spin of atoms in every possible direction. That means the memory capacity is infinite. We call this "multi-value memory."

Another interesting feature is its network memory property, where each manganese atom in the magnetic material is linked through interactions. If you forcefully flick one manganese atom to change its direction, the movement of one atom causes the others to spin around in response. This is called "spin interaction." Neural networks share a similar energy structure mathematically.

Nippo: I see, so the mathematical model for this is the neural network.

DaiGo: So it was thought this could be applied as artificial intelligence that thinks like the human brain. Currently, there are various problems, and it's considered difficult to proceed as is. However, human neurons also basically just choose whether to pass on an incoming electrical signal or not, right? It's because they form complex networks that the human brain fundamentally has the same structure as a magnet. It's this three-dimensional interconnection that creates human individuality.

 

I wanted to build a cyberbrain and transplant myself into it

DaiGo: But honestly, it wasn't so much that I wanted to create artificial intelligence. I just absolutely loved the anime "Ghost in the Shell." I was even debating whether to wear my Ghost in the Shell hoodie today before leaving the house (laughs).

Nitta: You like Ghost in the Shell?! There's this "Ghost in the Shell REALIZE PROJECT" going on now, and I actually helped launch it a little bit.

DaiGo: Watching Ghost in the Shell made me think, "I want to create a cyberbrain." I wanted to transfer my own brain into it. Since I've had so many things I wanted to do since I was a kid, even if I lived for about 100 years, I wouldn't be able to accomplish everything I wanted to do before I died. So I thought, if I just transferred myself into a cyberbrain and cyberized my body, that would be fine.

I still think similarly today. I love acquiring lots of new knowledge, so the idea of not dying and just learning all kinds of things forever inside a cyberbrain—well, that would be fine by me. Because I wanted to create cyberbrains, I joined a materials research lab in university.

Nitta: When you talk to AI researchers, they're pursuing things that aren't finished yet, not things that are already complete. They say that what's been realized isn't true AI. I think it's because the underlying principles are understood. So, you were trying to create a device with infinite storage, not based on the current hard disk mechanism, using new materials that utilize the properties of manganese?

DaiGo: That's right. Today's artificial intelligence is about machines that "move like humans," right? But I wanted to create a "box to hold the human mind."

Professor Eiji Saito at Tohoku University's Institute for Materials Research was originally a professor at Keio. I wanted to join his lab, but he moved to Tohoku University the year I was supposed to enter. What I loved most about his lectures was his point that the physics we understand is the physics of a vacuum. Since air is almost like a vacuum, the laws of physics can't be controlled. But in the right system—metals, materials—the laws of physics can be controlled if you design the material properly. That idea that we can manipulate the laws of physics really moved me.

Nitta: I see. When you appeared on the TV program "Solomon Style," you mentioned wanting to physically transfer your brain's consciousness into a device. Do you truly believe such mind uploading is possible?

DaiGo: First, what sets me apart from most researchers or businesspeople is that I don't dwell on whether something is possible. I decide what I want to do and then keep thinking about how to make it happen.

Hitō: So whether it's possible or not isn't the issue, right?

DaiGo: Exactly. Because if I couldn't do what I want to do, my life would lose all meaning. If you ask me, is there any point in surviving in a world where my dreams don't come true? I don't think so. Instead, I make sure not to think it can't be done.

 

I want to use psychology for business and people, rather than for entertainment.

DaiGo: A pure mentalist—someone who uses psychology or statistics—has very limited capabilities. Even when guessing things, like a pen or color, they can only handle about eight colors at most. They can't guess from hundreds of colors like Darren Brown (※1).

*1 Darren Brown
British mentalist. He began appearing on TV shows around 2000, shocking audiences by bringing science to the often-mysterious world of mentalism and revealing the techniques behind the illusions.

 

Nitō: Can Darren Brown actually do that?

DaiGo: He's an entertainer, so he can use tricks. But I don't find tricks interesting and I don't want to do them. I want to use psychology not for entertainment, but where it benefits business and people.

I was invited to appear on the TV show "Another Sky" and visited Oxford University. They let me into places normally off-limits to non-students, and I was completely captivated. The person I interviewed at Oxford was Dr. Helene Fox, who founded the largest neuroscience and psychology research center at the University of Essex. Her research focuses on "Genetics and Psychology" – specifically, identifying the genes that determine human psychology.

People talk about "rain brains" and "sunny brains," but what really distinguishes positive people from negative ones is a difference in the serotonin transporter gene. This gene controls the reuptake of serotonin, which stabilizes mood.

Actually, I'm also an advisor for a genetic testing company called Genesis Healthcare (※2). I was surprised because the first job I got right after returning from Oxford was doing PR for that company. They offer a genetic test called "Myself," which I believe is the only one in Japan that provides a genetic testing kit analyzing personality.

※2 Genesis Healthcare Co., Ltd.
Japan's largest testing company specializing in genetic research and analysis (for both private and medical use). http://genesis-healthcare.jp/

 

Generally, due to patent and other considerations, Japanese genetic testing companies collect saliva samples in Japan and send them to the US for analysis. However, this company has a laboratory in Chiba and can perform all testing domestically. As an advisor, I provide guidance on how to launch new products effectively and, when creating online ads, advise on using psychology to determine which copy and colors will increase response rates.

Additionally, at a company called Ignis, I work on a matching service called "with" (※3). While traditional matching services pair people based on income or appearance, "with" uses psychology to match people who are compatible or share similar sensibilities.

※3 "with"
A matching service developed by Ignis under DaiGo's supervision. It applies psychology and statistical methods to aim for a user experience unattainable through conventional mechanical matching. https://with.is/

 

<Continued in Part 2>