October 2025 Vol. 23 No. 10

View from the Top

• Ichiro Uehara, President, NTT Infrastructure Network Corporation

  

  Abstract
  NTT Infrastructure Network Corporation (NTT InfraNet) is tackling a variety of social challenges, such as aging facilities, labor shortages, environmental issues, and disaster prevention, by applying the technical capabilities it has cultivated through its business—namely, providing information and communications infrastructure—and co-creation with its partners. The efforts of NTT InfraNet to contribute to the optimization and sustainability of Japan’s social infrastructure as a whole is drawing considerable attention. We spoke with Ichiro Uehara, President of NTT InfraNet, which builds and operates social infrastructure for a new era, about the development of NTT InfraNet’s business and his role as leader.

Front-line Researchers

• Mitsuaki Akiyama, Senior Distinguished Researcher, NTT Social Informatics Laboratories

  

  Abstract
  Several incidents caused by cyber-attacks have been reported globally. They include information leaks due to ransomware, transportation disruptions due to DDoS (distributed denial of service) attacks, fraudulent contracts and resales due to malicious programs that abuse generative AI (artificial intelligence), data tampering due to SQL (Structured Query Language)-injection attacks and unauthorized access, and fraud using deep fakes. Avoiding such incidents necessitates a multifaceted response that includes measures to stop cyber-attacks, technology for minimizing the impact and spread of cyber-attacks, and defenses that rely on human psychology and behavior. Mitsuaki Akiyama, a senior distinguished researcher at NTT Social Informatics Laboratories, is researching security from the three perspectives of “human-centered security,” “offensive security,” and “socio-technical information security.” We spoke with him about these three themes related to cybersecurity and new research in their common areas as well as his philosophy of questioning and updating one’s experience and knowledge instead of solely relying on them and striving for mutual understanding and shared motivation to promote interdisciplinary research.

Rising Researchers

• Fuyuki Kitagawa, Distinguished Researcher, NTT Social Informatics Laboratories

  

  Abstract
  To prevent cyber-attacks, which are rampant on the Internet, encryption of data and communication content has become essential. Quantum computers—said to be 100-million times more powerful than conventional computers for specific tasks—are expected to be put into practical use in the 2030s. As quantum computers become more widespread, the digitalization of society will further progress, and the need for security technologies to support a digital society will also increase. In this interview, we spoke with Fuyuki Kitagawa, a distinguished researcher at NTT Social Informatics Laboratories and leader in research into next-generation public-key cryptography using quantum technology.

Feature Articles: NTT R&D at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan

• Introduction: Creating a Happy Evolution through Future Communication

  

  Abstract
  This collection of feature articles introduces NTT laboratories’ initiatives for Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, focusing on the NTT Pavilion and the latest technologies and their applications. This article explains the concept of “future communication that makes you feel as if someone is right next to you,” one of the messages NTT wanted to convey at the expo.

• IOWN × Spatial Transmission—A Communication Experience in Which Distant Spaces Become as One

  

  Abstract
  We introduce our technological efforts involved in transmitting the performance of the Japanese female group Perfume in real time over NTT’s Innovative Optical and Wireless Network (IOWN), as exhibited at the NTT Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan. In this production, we connected Expo’70 Commemorative Park in Suita, Osaka and Yumeshima, Osaka (the site of Expo 2025) by IOWN and achieved an experience in which Perfume seemed to appear right before one’s eyes despite performing at a distant location through dynamic three-dimensional spatial-data transmission and reproduction technology and vibrotactile sound field presentation technology.

• Questioning the Nature of Communication through the “Fure-au Denwa” and “Denwa for Listening to the Universe” Exhibits—From the Telephone to Vibrotactile Communication Media

  

  Abstract
  Situated outdoors in the NTT Pavilion area at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan were two key exhibits: “Fure-au Denwa” that enabled people to convey each other’s presence through vibrotactile sensations and “Denwa for Listening to the Universe,” where people could listen to stories about person-to-person communication. Fure-au Denwa shared vibrations through low-latency communications powered by NTT’s Innovative Optical and Wireless Network (IOWN) so that people could experience a new way of interacting through the sense of touch. Denwa for Listening to the Universe featured a retro-style telephone that visitors could use to listen to stories of how people have used the phone to connect with each other. These were exhibits experienced hands-on as media enabling past and future forms of communication.

• Another Me Planet—An Alter Ego That Shows Potential Future Self

  

  Abstract
  At Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, a Virtual Expo was held where visitors could experience the event 24 hours a day. The Virtual NTT Pavilion provided content linked to a real venue in Yumeshima, Osaka. The pavilion also provided Another Me Planet, which enables people to communicate with themselves in future occupations and realize their potential so that they can experience the world view of Another Me™, a theme of the real venue. This article introduces Another Me Planet and the technology to achieve it.

• A Pavilion Clad in Emotions: Harmonized Communication Experiences between People and Objects

  

  Abstract
  This article introduces one of the key concepts behind the NTT Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan: the creation of future communication through the Pavilion Clad in Emotions. It showcases the efforts behind IOWN (Innovative Optical and Wireless Network) Photonic Disaggregated Computing and MediaGnosis, NTT’s next-generation media processing artificial intelligence. It also presents initiatives using IOWN Photonic Disaggregated Computing and Embodied Knowledge Understanding Technology to ensure safety and security for visitors to the NTT Pavilion.

Feature Articles: Exploring Humans and Information through the Harmony of Knowledge and Envisioning the Future

• Exploring the Nature of Humans and Information, and Connecting Them—Communication Science for a Sustainable Future through the Discovery of Hidden Truths and Interdisciplinary Research

  

  Abstract
  NTT Communication Science Laboratories (CS Labs) conducts fundamental research to deeply understand both information and humans, and on the basis of this understanding, develops core technologies that connect information and humans. Our research and development efforts focus on achieving “heart-to-heart communication” between humans, between humans and artificial intelligence, and between humans and society. This article highlights some of the latest research activities at CS Labs.

• From the Study of Embodied Empathy to Supporting Family Wellbeing—Understanding Embodied Empathy and Connecting Distant Families via Bodily Information Transfer

  

  Abstract
  Empathy and bonds between people are essential for maintaining our sense of fulfillment and overall wellbeing. Thus, how are empathy and bonds created? and what kind of information is important to share for deepening empathy and strengthening our bonds? This article focuses on the role of the body in building empathy and bonds, introducing research that explores the mechanisms that play a role in the emergence of empathy. It also introduces attempts to apply bodily interactions in remote communication to strengthen family bonds among those spending time apart.

• Techniques for “Reading the Room” in Attentive Conversational AI—Understanding Dialogue Context through Multimodal Information and Incremental Response Generation

  

  Abstract
  To enable dialogue systems to blend seamlessly into people’s daily lives and engage in thoughtful behavior, it is essential for them to possess the ability to “read the room”—that is, to recognize the dialogue situation and relationship between interlocutors and respond with appropriate timing. With this goal in mind, our group has been conducting research on a variety of dialogue processing technologies aimed at developing such situation-aware dialogue systems. This article highlights three of our studies: dialogue situation recognition for understanding everyday conversations, intimacy recognition for estimating interpersonal closeness between speakers, and incremental response generation for adapting to the natural tempo of human interaction.

• AI that Learns to Listen on Its Own—Advancing Self-supervised Audio Representation toward Cutting-edge Sound Understanding with Large Language Models

  

  Abstract
  Representation learning―which enables the extraction of meaningful features from media such as audio and images―has greatly advanced artificial intelligence (AI)’s ability to understand media content. This article introduces technologies that we developed for learning audio representations that allow AI to comprehend the diverse sounds that surround us. The learned representations can be applied to a wide range of sound applications, such as identifying animal vocalizations or music genres. We focus on self-supervised learning, a form of representation learning that uses only audio data to avoid the labor cost of annotating data, to further develop our technologies. We also extend these technologies by aligning audio understanding with the language semantics, leveraging large language models.

• Discovery of Hidden Knowledge in Data Relationships—Prospects for Reliable Healthcare through Infinite-hypothesis AI Models That Interpret Biological Phenomena

  

  Abstract
  Various analyses of biological information data have led to the discovery of numerous insights that contribute to the advancement of medical healthcare. However, the use of artificial intelligence in fields closely related to human life and health has drawn attention to the important issue of evaluating risks and uncertainties, particularly in analysis, prediction, and decision-making. This article explains a machine learning method that explicitly captures the risks and uncertainties in data analysis by considering the infinite number of hypotheses that may exist when a model explains biological phenomena.

• Children Perceive Minds in Robots—Learning Companion Robots for the Future of Early Childhood Education

  

  Abstract
  Advances in technology are expanding the role of robots in children’s lives. In the near future, robots are expected to serve as learning companions that support early childhood education. However, how children perceive robots is not fully understood. This article presents findings from our group’s experimental psychological research exploring whether children can learn from robots and how social interactions with robots influence children’s behavior. It also outlines how these findings can contribute to the design of social robots as learning companions and promote the advancement of early childhood education.

Regular Articles

• Micro-transfer Printing of III-V Membrane Photonic Devices on Various Platforms

  

  Abstract
  We demonstrate micro-transfer printing of III-V membrane lasers onto silicon photonics and thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) platforms. The III-V membrane lasers feature high modulation efficiency and simple adiabatic tapers for efficient optical coupling. On silicon, direct modulation at 40 Gbit/s is achieved with low bias current. Integration with TFLN Mach-Zehnder modulators enables data transmission up to 128 Gbit/s. These results highlight the versatility and effectiveness of micro-transfer printing for heterogeneous photonic integration, and its potential for efficient use of III-V materials across a wide range of photonic platforms.

Global Standardization Activities

• ITU-T TSAG (Telecommunication Standardization Advisory Group) Participation Report

  

  Abstract
  A meeting of the International Telecommunication Union - Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) Telecommunication Standardization Advisory Group (TSAG) was held from May 26 to 30, 2025, both at the ITU headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and online. This was the first TSAG meeting of this study period (2025−2028), and discussions were mainly held on the structure of TSAG and the activity policies of the Working Parties and Rapporteur Groups under TSAG. This article introduces an overview of TSAG and the main deliberations.

Information

• Event Report: NTT Communication Science Laboratories Open House 2025

  

  Abstract
  NTT Communication Science Laboratories hosted Open House 2025 from 20 to 22 May 2025 at QUINTBRIDGE and the adjoining PRISM facility on NTT WEST’s i-CAMPUS in Kyobashi, Osaka. Operated entirely as an on-site event with advance reservations, the Open House welcomed 1078 visitors—about a 20% increase over the previous year. This article reports on the event’s highlights.

External Awards

• External Awards