About

Michinari Kono is a researcher/engineer in the entertainment industry located in Tokyo, Japan. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Tokyo, in the area of applied computer science (HCI).

His expertise lies in the field of HCI/AI and its applications, where he has both academic and industry experience. He has been involved in deploying AI technologies in various domains, and he has also conducted research on novel AI applications. He is passionate about applying his knowledge and skills to the entertainment industry through a theoretical approach. Specifically, he is interested in designing and engineering new forms of entertainment that incorporate AI technologies.

CURRENT & PREVIOUS POSITIONS

  • 2023.10~Present AI Engineer, VTuber company in Tokyo
  • 2019.4~2023.9 Senior Researcher, Bandai Namco Research Inc.
  • 2018.4~2019.3 Project Researcher (Post-Doc), The University of Tokyo

EDUCATION

  • Ph.D. at Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies, The University of Tokyo, Japan, 2018.
    • Ph.D. in Applied Computer Science
    • Ph.D. Thesis: “Providing an Experimental Platform for Interfaces that Apply Electricity to the Human Body”
  • Master of Media and Governance, Keio University, Japan, 2014.
    • M.M.G.
    • Master’s Thesis: “Generating and Expressing Creature-like Behaviors by Utilizing Material Features”
  • Bachelor of Arts in Environment and Information Studies, Keio University, Japan, 2012.
    • B.A. (Environment and Information Studies)
    • Bachelor’s Thesis: “tamable looper: Creature-like expressions and interactions by movement and deformation of clusters of sphere shaped magnets”