Hirotaka Toyonaga

Many people describe you as a “slash worker.” What job titles have you had? Yesterday’s event called you a hacker, and you are a former digital minister. Please tell us about your different jobs.

I hear that you have joined seven NGO boards. Can you talk about your different types of work and how you manage them?

Many people struggle to manage their time effectively amid constant demands. What specific skills or tips do you use to manage your time?

When you wake up, do you recall whom you met and what they said yesterday, and take notes? What do you do in the morning?

I have heard that you use the Pomodoro technique — working for 25 minutes and then resting. Can you explain the technique and its benefits for businesspeople?

Especially for children, what practical strategy would you recommend for building a healthier relationship with smartphones, social media and technology? How can we detach from or tune our devices?

So, grayscale?

Around the world, political leaders appear to promote a single worldview while dismissing alternative perspectives — for example, President Donald Trump. Why is diversity of thought important? Why do you believe sharing and collaboration matter more than exclusivity or control?

So AI finds a method for collaboration?

In your book Plurality , you mention the risk that AI could empower centralized, top-down control and that technology could optimize for polarization. Many people worry that AI may eventually surpass human intelligence and even dominate humanity. What is your view?

You emphasize plurality and say conflict can be transformed into creativity. Today’s environment often seems dominated by polarization and division. How can conflict genuinely be transformed into constructive collaboration?

You are very interested in science fiction and wrote about Star Trek in your book. You discuss the Vulcan philosophy of unity among unlike things. What is its importance to plurality?

Do you like watching movies on this topic?

You have been quoted saying that you would like to help children become “usefully useless.” What do you mean by “useless”?

At the end of yesterday’s keynote, you said, “Humankind is the superintelligence.” What is your message to people in Japan?