Accenture partners with Kyoto University for research on human-centered AI

Global consulting and technology business Accenture has signed a collaboration agreement with Kyoto University, aimed at advancing research, learning and innovation in the area of human-centered AI.

In a joint statement, the two companies said that their research will investigate the effects of organizational leadership approaches, such as directive and consensus-building, on the performance and well-being of workers in the age of generative AI. Using data analytics, including correlation analysis, the aim is to provide insights that will help create more dynamic organizations and a better society.

“By leveraging an understanding of human behavior grounded in behavioral economics and AI-based insights into human actions and biases, the goal is to help organizations leverage AI in ways that are better for business and for people,” said Gakuse Hoshina, Senior Managing Director at Accenture and Lead of its AI Center Lead.

“We will explore the integration of diverse human-related studies conducted by Kyoto University researchers into Accenture’s AI development to foster true human-AI partnerships designed to positively impact society. We will support incorporating generative AI into all value chains of companies and organizations for data-driven management.”

The collaboration will leverage the newly established Accenture Center for Advanced AI Kyoto and Kyoto University’s physical campus, as well as a digital environment to foster AI co-creation, innovation and talent. The program includes joint research, simulations and thought leadership.

Takashi Hikihara, Executive Vice-President for Information Infrastructure and Library Management at Kyoto University, commented, “In society, people engage in activities involving predictions and verifications, and there is ongoing debate about AI's ability to replace these tasks. It is important to consider this from the perspectives of science, technology, humanities, and social sciences.”

“Kyoto University has been deepening research in the humanities and social sciences based on data. It is necessary to conduct evidence-based verification on whether AI can provide fair and responsible solutions. The agreement with Accenture aims to accelerate this research.”

The agreement is the latest in Accenture’s long history of research partnerships, which currently includes Stanford, MIT and the World Economic Forum. Since its establishment in 1897, Kyoto University has built a reputation as one of Asia’s leading research institutes, among others producing numerous Nobel Prize winners.