About

Alternative Machine

Alternative Machine is a group of researchers who is pursuing practical applications for new theories and information technology developed out of research into artificial life (ALife). We partner with ALife researchers within and without Japan to act as the world’s only technology enterprise specializing in ALife.

Artificial Life (ALife)

This field is focused on research into various principles associated with life phenomena, such as autonomy, evolution, and consciousness. The history of ALife dates to 1951, when John von Neumann, responsible for the von Neumann architecture that is the progenitor of modern-day computers, created the first ALife model. The concept of ALife has been passed down through global researchers like John Horton Conway, known for the Game of Life; Stephen Wolfram, of the cellular automaton; and John Henry Holland, pioneer of genetic algorithms. Just 30 years after Neumann's death, the International Conference “ALIFE” was organized by theoretical biologist and computer scientist Christopher Langton at Los Alamos National Laboratory in 1987, launching the field as a formal research domain. In this way, ALife in itself represents the history of computers and mathematicians who have pursued what the fundamental meaning of life is.

MISSION

Installing life’s principles in technology.

Rather than pursuing technology for the sake of optimization and efficiency, we instead explore ways of developing new technology imbued with life -- such as love, friendliness, and a sense of presence. Our mission is installing life's principles in technology.

VISION

Releasing to society the latest technologies that represent a redefinition of the concept of life.

Just as Darwin's theory of evolution had a profound impact on Western religions, social systems, arts and sciences, humanity has experienced a significant paradigm shift each time a major technological innovation is introduced. Now, at the forefront of science and technology, the idea that "life" can be a computer that processes data with an algorithm, is beginning to capture the imagination. This idea greatly contributes to the development of life sciences and is about to impact the real world through the development of the latest AI technology. From the point of view of AI, the main purpose of life is simply data processing, and the mind, consciousness, and emotions are orthogonal, just noise. The rich emotions we experience every day, and the consciousness that spans the world can also be interpreted as meaningless and without value. We want to ask you here Should we constrain the purpose of "life" to the analogy of computer processing data? Can we give intelligence priority over life-specific values such as mind, consciousness and even emotion? Now that inorganic highly intelligent algorithms have begun to impact and drive society, can we really draw our future on that line? Now is the time when humanity needs ALTERNATIVE choices, ideas, values, and technologies. Now is the time when we as artificial life researchers are confronting the question

"What is life?"

by extracting the features of life, examining them and reproducing them artificially. Every day, we are searching for "life as it could be" beyond the framework of "life as we know it." By confronting ambivalent questions such as mind, consciousness, adaptation, and evolution, we challenge the mystery of "life" and continue to redefine the steps forward to the next major paradigm shift. We thus started ALTERNATIVE MACHINE to release the knowledge and wisdom of cutting-edge artificial life research to society. ALTERNATIVE MACHINE is a group of artificial life researchers who deliver technology based on the continuously updated definition of "life" to society. ALTERNATIVE MACHINE looks to solutions beyond AI. We are convinced that the answer to what the world is seeking comes from artificial life research and ALTERNATIVE MACHINE Inc.

Members

Atsushi Masumori

Chief Executive Officer

Takashi Ikegami

Chief Scientific Officer

Itsuki Doi

Senior Researcher

Hiroki Kojima

Senior Researcher

Norihiro Maruyama

Senior Researcher

CORPORATE PROFILE

Founded in June 2017 by Mizuki Oka (web science researcher), Ryuta Aoki (concept designer and social sculptor), and Takashi Ikegami (complexity science and ALife researcher). This group of researchers is pursuing practical applications for new theories and information technology developed out of research into artificial life (ALife). We partner with ALife researchers within and without Japan to act as the world’s only technology enterprise specializing in ALife. In addition to numerous joint research projects with countless companies, we are also focusing on development of the ALIFE Engine™, a dynamics generation engine, and Art installation.

Company Name	Alternative Machine Inc.
Founded	June 2017
Address	Kuwano-Building 2F 6-23-4 Jingumae Shibuya-ku Tokyo, JAPAN
Representative	Atsushi Masumori
Directors	Takashi Ikegami