Full Transcript of the Press Conference Announcing the Candidacy of an Engineer and Author for the Tokyo Gubernatorial Election

Yesterday, I held a press conference at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building to announce my candidacy. I am releasing the full transcript of that conference.

Full Transcript of the Press Conference

Thank you all for gathering here today on such short notice, despite your very busy schedules.

I, Takahiro Anno, am running as a candidate in the Tokyo Gubernatorial Election to be held on July 7th. Today, I would like to talk about 1) the reasons why I decided to run, 2) the policies I want to focus on, and 3) three Japan-first campaigns I will conduct during the election period.

Self-Introduction

First, let me briefly introduce myself. I have experienced three professions so far. One is as a software engineer, specifically an AI engineer. The second is as an entrepreneur. As the head of an AI startup, I have provided products to users. The third is as an author. I mainly write science fiction. Some of you may feel that I have experienced several disparate professions, but in reality, I have only ever done one thing: depicting the future through technology. As an engineer, I have depicted the future through writing programs; as an entrepreneur, through providing products and services; and as a science fiction author, through words. This is also connected to the reason why I am running for office this time.

1) Why I decided to run

The reason I, who have been far from the world of politics, decided to run for Governor of Tokyo this time is that I felt that now, more than ever, there is a need to depict a vision for the future of Tokyo.

As you are all well aware, the world is about to change significantly due to the evolution of technology. The internet and smartphones have become commonplace for everyone from children to the elderly. Generative AI has made it possible to freely create images and videos, translation AI has removed language barriers—the obstacles to reading and writing foreign languages—and tools like ChatGPT are boosting our productivity. The industrial structure is changing, and an intelligence that surpasses humans is about to be born. This can work both positively and negatively for a democratic society. Power could be concentrated, surveillance could be strengthened, fake news could spread, and divisions could be created. However, on the other hand, technological development can include the socially vulnerable, help everyone live in their own way, and be used to foster collaboration between people. We are at a crossroads of whether we can use technology in a positive direction.

Nevertheless, now that the Olympics are over, I feel that Tokyo's future vision has become a blank slate. Even in this gubernatorial election, the leading candidates are only talking about political maneuvering, and there is no discussion of policy or a vision for the future. I suspect many of you feel that the current candidates are just playing political games with a short-term perspective, caught up in various constraints.

That is precisely why I believe it is meaningful for me to run, having worked on depicting the future as an AI engineer, an entrepreneur, and an author. For me, at only 33 years old, the future 50 years from now is not someone else's problem. I want to seriously discuss policy, not political maneuvering, and furthermore, a vision for the future beyond that, and I want to present these options to the citizens of Tokyo. That is the reason for my candidacy.

2) What I want to advocate as policy

Secondly, I would like to talk about what I want to advocate. In a word, the vision for Tokyo that I want to advocate is to "update Tokyo into a city that leaves no one behind through technology." Through technology, I want to create a Tokyo where people respect each other and where everyone can easily live in their own way—that is what I am thinking.

To achieve this, I want to update three areas: daily life, the economy, and politics.

Updating Daily Life (Senior Generations, Future Generations)
When you hear about utilizing technology, you might feel anxious, wondering, "Will I be left behind?" However, technologies such as ChatGPT, translation AI, and autonomous driving are things that can actually help the elderly, people with disabilities, and those who have been unfamiliar with IT technology until now. Historically, technology has been a source of strength for people with disabilities. Glasses help those with poor eyesight, wheelchairs help those with mobility issues, and using calculators has enabled people who are not good at math to do their jobs. As technology develops, the options for many people increase, and life becomes richer. I will implement various policies to improve life through technology.

Let me mention a few specific examples. By actively lifting restrictions on and utilizing autonomous driving, I want to ensure that no one feels restricted in their mobility. I aim to achieve the world's longest healthy life expectancy through advanced medical technology and measures against pre-symptomatic diseases. Measures against cybercrime and online abuse are also important so that everyone can safely interact with technology. Disaster prevention measures utilizing digital technology are also important. Furthermore, for the children who will carry the future, I believe it is important to develop infrastructure for childbirth and child-rearing, including fertility treatment, and to create the world's best educational environment.

Updating the Economy (Active Generations)
The main driver of economic growth in the modern era is technology. Looking at the world's market capitalization rankings, the top spots are occupied by technology companies like GAFAM (Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft) and Nvidia. In the world of economics, it is said that the drivers of economic growth are 1) population growth, 2) utilization of natural resources, and 3) technology. However, we cannot hope for 1 and 2 in Japan. It is no exaggeration to say that how much prosperity Japan can generate depends on technology. Leveraging my experience in managing an AI startup, I want to promote the creation of new industries through technology by implementing deregulation and support measures.

Updating Politics (Administration, Democracy)
Administration, politics, and democracy can also be updated through technology. I believe that by utilizing technology, we can enable collective collaboration and support democratic decision-making. The prototype of the democratic system was designed hundreds of years ago, but by utilizing technology, it can be changed into something better. By lifting the ban on online campaigning, we can hear the voices of a wider range of people. Furthermore, if we use a new voting system, it is even possible to conduct administrative operations while confirming public opinion frequently without waiting for elections. I want to take on the challenge of updating such democratic systems. I also believe it is extremely important to advance the digital transformation of administrative services at the grassroots level. It is clear that the utilization of IT, such as digitizing reception services and moving them online, is lagging behind, even before considering AI.

When thinking about politics, I believe the issue of how to handle technology is underestimated. Technology is not an independent issue, but one that is positioned at the foundation of each policy. From the perspective of a technology expert, I want to strengthen Tokyo's technology policy and realize a Tokyo that leaves no one behind.

3) Three Japan-first campaigns

Next, I would like to share three Japan-first campaigns that I plan to implement during the election period.

Until now, election periods have been a time to 'broadcast the candidate's opinions,' which is to say, a time to unilaterally convey the candidate's thoughts to the voters. I believe that this time, by using technology, we can make it a period for listening to people's opinions. In the world of digital democracy, this is called 'broad listening.' Through this broad listening, I want to make the election period a time for us all to think about ideal policies together.

In a 2022 public opinion survey on the lives of Tokyo residents, 54% of respondents answered 'Yes' to the question, 'Do you want to be involved in making Tokyo better?' More than half of the residents truly want to improve Tokyo and want to do something themselves to achieve that. The problem is that, until now, there has been no way to respond to these desires of the residents. With me, I can use technology to face your desire to 'make Tokyo better.'

Therefore, this time, I will carry out three Japan-first campaigns that utilize technology.

• The first is to capture public opinion with high resolution based on the results of direct voting. In this election, a certain business has announced that it will conduct direct policy voting by combining My Number cards and smartphones, ensuring one vote per person on political issues. While I am not the one conducting this electronic voting itself, I will analyze and visualize the data on public opinion obtained through such initiatives and flexibly incorporate it into my manifesto.

• The second is to improve the manifesto through open source. Open source means that volunteer engineers collaborate on the internet to create software. I think it would be good to be able to discuss policies in a way that anyone can participate, using the same methods as open-source software development. Specifically, I will use GitHub, a tool commonly used in open-source development, to manage policies and allow anyone to propose changes.

• The third is to conduct AI town meetings on YouTube Live. This is something that anyone can participate in at any time, 24 hours a day, for the 17 days of the election period. By having the AI learn my manifesto, I will accept questions and policy requests from Tokyo residents at any time. I have brought a demo of this today, so please take a look.

  • Until now, politicians could only convey their thoughts to one person at a time. However, by having the AI learn my manifesto and political philosophy, I will be able to communicate with many people simultaneously.

Also, the programs used for these campaigns are all scheduled to be released as open source after the election. This will allow anyone to conduct campaigns similar to mine in all future elections. Through such attempts, the way elections are conducted itself should be updated to become more meaningful.

4) Conclusion

For this candidacy, I consulted with Audrey Tang, a leading figure in digital democracy and former Minister of Digital Affairs of Taiwan. She gave me warm words and specific advice. I would like to introduce a part of it here.

”I like the way Mr. Anno combines broad listening, the My Number system, and the open-source spirit.”
”Mr. Anno is not protesting. I really like that. He is saying, 'We can change for the better.'”

Audrey Tang transitioned into the world of administration when she was 33, the same age as I am now. I am very happy that I was able to take on such a challenge at this timing and that she was able to share these words with me.

I believe that Tokyo has the wonderful potential to become a city that leads the world. I believe that we can change for the better.

During the election period, I want to listen to the voices of the voters and draw the future of Tokyo together. Takahiro Anno will update the way elections are conducted, the political system, and the future of Tokyo. That is all from me. Now, I would like to move on to the Q&A session.

The video, including the demo and the Q&A session, is also being distributed below, so please take a look.

Also, we are accepting donations for the election. I would appreciate your cooperation via the link below.

https://go2senkyo.com/seijika/193913