Humanoids Summit gives Tokyo a peek of a robotic future

Utilizing artificial intelligence and robots — and more specifically humanoids — is crucial in making up for Japan’s labor shortage. This was the dominant talking point at the Humanoids Summit on Thursday when the two-day event kicked off in Tokyo.

Hosted by a California-based robotics company of the same name, it is the first time the summit, which was previously held in Silicon Valley and London, is being held in Asia. It is expected to draw 2,000 attendees from 30 countries and 300 companies, according to the organizers.

Japan was chosen for its “foundational role in the global robotics ecosystem for decades,” said Terence Bennett, executive director of the Bay Area Robotics Association, in his opening remarks.