AI companions are on the increase. What can we learn from their use in Japan? This fall, Hirofumi Katsuno, internationally renowned Professor at the Department of Media, Journalism and Communications at Doshisha University, will visit various WASP-HS robotics groups across Sweden to provide insight on the future of intimacy.
AI companions, designed to simulate human-like conversations, are becoming increasingly popular. By offering emotional support and a sense of companionship, they are gaining traction globally, and not least in Japan.
This fall, Professor Hirofumi Katsuno, Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan, visits various WASP-HS groups across Sweden to give a series of talks on “Imagining Companionship: AI, Robots, and the Future of Intimacy in Japan,” exploring the cultural affective and ethical dimensions of living with companion robots.
“I examine how human-robot intimacy is imagined, practiced, and contested across different social contexts. In doing so, I consider what approaches to AI companionship emerging from Japan might contribute to broader cross-cultural conversations on the future of human-machine relations,” says Professor Katsuno.
Talks this Fall
You can join Hirofumi Katsumo’s insightful talk on the following dates and locations:
Uppsala University, Monday 31 August, 13:00-14:00
Location: Department of Information Technology, House 10, Regementsvägen 10
Host: Prof. Ginevra Castellano (ginevra.castellano@it.uu.se)
Linköping University, Thursday 3 September, 10:15-12:00
Location: Herbert Simon
Hosts: Prof. Tom Ziemke (tom.ziemke@liu.se) and Prof. Ericka Johnson (ericka.johnson@liu.se)
Umeå University, Monday 7 September, 10:00-12:00
Location: Humlab-H2
Host: Dr. Karin Danielsson (karin.danielsson@umu.se)
Lund University, Tuesday 8 September, 10:00-12:00
Location: TBD
Hosts: Prof. Stefan Larsson (stefan.larsson@lth.lu.se) & Dr. Valentina Fantasia (valentina.fantasia@lucs.lu.se)
Lund University, Wednesday 9 September, 12:00-13:00
Location: On-line. Please register here: https://www.ai.lu.se/2026-09-09/
Hosts: Prof. Stefan Larsson (stefan.larsson@lth.lu.se) & Dr. Valentina Fantasia (valentina.fantasia@lucs.lu.se)
Digital Futures: KTH and Stockholm University, Thursday 10 September, 13:00-14:00
Location: Oscars Backe 5, floor 2, KTH
Host: Prof. Iolanda Leite (iolanda@kth.se)
The visit is made possible through generous support from the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science, The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and WASP-HS.
