2023年度卒業式告辞

To the 2,501 graduates of Tohoku Gakuin University and the 58 students completing Graduate Schools Master's programs, congratulations on your graduation. I can only imagine the joy of the parents who have eagerly awaited this day. As president, I offer my heartfelt congratulations.

This year's graduation ceremony will be held in three separate sessions at the Itsutsubashi Memorial Hall on the new Gobashi Campus, which opened in April and symbolizes the new Tohoku Gakuin University. I would like you to recall that upon entering the university, due to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection, the entrance ceremony was conducted by representatives only, and classes and extracurricular activities were conducted online, meaning you started your university life in solitude without being able to interact with teachers and friends in person. Since then, you have faced many difficulties as classes have alternated between in-person and online depending on the infection situation. However, you have all strived for self-management and crisis management, obtained the necessary credits for graduation, and had your graduation exams, graduation theses, and master's theses accepted, so it is truly a cause for celebration that you will graduate from your alma mater, Tohoku Gakuin University, as bachelors and masters. Even amidst the pandemic, Tohoku Gakuin University did not cancel extracurricular activities, but instead called for participation through social media and YouTube, and continued to hold university festivals and extracurricular activities with restrictions. In that sense, I believe that many of you were able to meet irreplaceable friends despite the pandemic.

Now, over the past four years, you have experienced not only the COVID-19 pandemic, but also Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the war in Palestine, and climate change and natural disasters such as the rise in temperature last summer and the Noto Peninsula earthquake in January. It has truly been four years marked by a series of crises. However, amidst these crises, the world is undergoing a major transformation. During the pandemic, the popularity of the Nintendo Switch skyrocketed, with people all over the world buying and playing it, and Super Mario making a comeback in the form of movies and other media. While it is wonderful that Japanese culture is gaining popularity worldwide, this Japanese-born culture does not represent any new change. It is, so to speak, 20th-century culture, merely a revival of the 1990s. In the midst of all this, what is poised to change the world is the runaway train-like evolution of generative AI (artificial intelligence) technology, exemplified by ChatGPT, with the United States and China competing against each other. OpenAI was founded at the end of 2015 by Sam Altman, Elon Musk, and others. In 2018, Large Language Models (LLMs), which form the basis of ChatGPT, were introduced, enabling the generation of text and even the writing of academic papers. Then, in November 2022, ChatGPT, an LLM that can be manipulated using everyday language rather than computer language, was released. People are now able to manipulate AI using everyday language, thereby achieving a more convenient and efficient life. Since you can receive answers from AI without having to think hard, when you enter society, you will likely face tasks that require you to utilize conversational generative AI, such as ChatGPT, to improve your work efficiency.

Therefore, I want to draw your attention to this: no matter how much AI becomes capable of being manipulated using everyday language, it will always remain merely "prediction and control by a program created by humans." As I previously warned you all through the university's website, AI does not care whether its answers are true or false. Deep learning processes vast amounts of data instantly and prepares answers, but these answers lack any attributions to sources, merely presenting the expected average answer. It is the responsibility of university academic research, whose mission is to discover the truth, to question the "lies" and "social distortions" reflected in AI, and it is the responsibility of all of you who are receiving your bachelor's or master's degrees today.

It's only a matter of time before AI surpasses human capabilities, a phenomenon known as "singularity." However, this doesn't mean we should be so afraid of AI that we demand humanity from it or worship it like a god. The Bible contains a strict commandment in Moses' Ten Commandments: "You shall not make god anything that is not God." No matter how well it can respond in everyday language, it's fundamentally unreasonable to expect humanity from AI. Tohoku Gakuin University is a university that has Christian character education as its "founding spirit" and its school motto is LIFE LIGHT LOVE. LIFE means understanding the dignity of human beings who have accumulated many experiences while possessing physical sensations and emotions such as pain, suffering, and regret, and cherishing others who are different as if they were ourselves. LIGHT means illuminating the world with truth, science and technology, and athletic ability acquired through academics and sports. LOVE means acknowledging each other's weaknesses, forgiving each other, and cherishing each other while complementing each other's shortcomings. We cannot entrust these important teachings to an AI that lacks emotions and love. By cherishing LIFE, LIGHT, and LOVE, we can ensure our own well-being and our humanity.

Now, it's time to embark on your journey. Be proud to be a graduate of Tohoku Gakuin University, strive for coexistence with AI, and live your life to the fullest, aiming to build a future society rich in humanity. We wish you good health and success.

Congratulations on your graduation!

March 26, 2024

Haruki Onishi, President of Tohoku Gakuin University