At "SIW IMPACT," which recognizes actions leading to the future, Kazuhiro Shimura of Dentsu Inc. received the "GOOD INNOVATOR" award.

At the "SIW IMPACT" award program (hosted by Shibuya Future Design Association / co-hosted by Shibuya City), which recognizes actions and ideas leading to a better future, Kazuhiro Shimura, Creative Director at Dentsu Inc. Future Creative Center, won the Grand Prize in the "GOOD INNOVATOR" category.

SIW IMPACT is an award program held as part of "SOCIAL INNOVATION WEEK 2024," a festival of social & culture design that contemplates the future from Shibuya. Comprising four categories, it recognizes actions and ideas that lead to a better future and supports the creation of new cultures and movements. The GOOD INNOVATOR category honors individuals who contribute to improving society through actions and attitudes that move people, opening new possibilities. This year, two individuals, including Mr. Shimura, were selected as Grand Prize winners from 14 nominees.

Shimura is behind projects including the world's first tuna-assessment AI "TUNA SCOPE," which inherits the tacit knowledge of seasoned connoisseurs; "VOICE WATCH," a real-time commentary generation AI enabling sports viewing for the visually impaired; and "VISIONGRAM," which visualizes the unique visual perception of each individual with visual impairments. He was recognized for practicing his mission as a Creative Director: "Solving societal challenges and improving the future through the power of ideas."

The SIW IMPACT award ceremony was held on Monday, November 4, 2024 (a national holiday) at the SOCIAL INNOVATION WEEK 2024 venue. In his acceptance speech, Mr. Shimura introduced the VOICE WATCH case study and spoke about the potential to "use the capabilities cultivated in advertising to make the world a better place."

The projects that led to this award—the tuna-assessment AI "TUNA SCOPE," the sports commentary AI for the visually impaired "VOICE WATCH," and the visual impairment visualization tool "VISIONGRAM"—are all ongoing and continue to evolve and expand. Mr. Shimura's challenge to solve social issues and make the world a better place using the power of ideas cultivated in advertising continues.

■TUNA SCOPE Official Website
https://tuna-scope.com/jp/
 

■TUNA SCOPE Related Articles
Kazuhiro Shimura of Dentsu Inc. Speaks at "TUNA 2024," the World's Largest Tuna Conference
https://dentsu-ho.com/articles/8995

Dentsu Inc. Creative Director Kazuhiro Shimura Speaks at "TUNA 2022," the World's Largest Tuna Conference.
https://dentsu-ho.com/articles/8405
 

■VOICE WATCH Official Website
https://voicewatch-project.com/
 

■VOICE WATCH Related Articles
How Will AI Commentary Change Sports Viewing? "Voice Watch"
https://dentsu-ho.com/articles/8708

■VISIONGRAM Official Website
https://visiongram-project.com
 

■VISIONGRAM Related Articles
"VISIONGRAM" Visualizes Visual Impairment; Adopted by Japan's Paralympic Judo Team
https://dentsu-ho.com/articles/8783