On March 2, 2026, KDDI Corporation (hereinafter referred to as KDDI) and AVITA Inc. (hereinafter referred to as AVITA), a company that develops services and provides marketing support using avatars and AI, entered into a strategic business partnership aimed at utilizing physical AI.
Physical AI refers to the technology that gives intelligence to devices such as robots, drones, and smart appliances. These devices have the ability to sense, judge, and act on their own, and this is expected to result in operational improvements and cost reductions in industries that prioritize automation and safety.
This is an area that has been attracting attention in recent years, and was even mentioned as a technology trend at the Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo 2025 event held in Orlando, Florida.
At CES 2026 held in Los Angeles, USA, there were many exhibits related to “physical AI,” including exhibits by Boston Dynamics, which provides the humanoid robot Atlas, and Fujitsu, which is developing “Spatial World Model,” a technology that allows robots to recognize the entire space. Development is currently accelerating.
Unreal world, digital language communication using avatars
The two companies have been working to solve the labor shortage in the virtual world, such as by introducing a “remote customer service platform” at Lawson, au Style/au shops, etc., which allows customers to receive customer service remotely using digital avatars.
AVITA Co., Ltd.
Founded in 2021, the company is headed by Professor Hiroshi Ishiguro of Osaka University Graduate School, known as Robot Researcher. Its goal is to “create a new world that liberates people” through robotics and avatar technology.
Hiroshi Ishiguro is also working on a project to create a humanoid robot of the late Antonio Inoki, utilizing AVITA’s technology. This project is not only useful in the entertainment field, but is also positioned as a socially significant initiative, such as “the inheritance of personality, thoughts, and memories” and “presenting a legacy to the next generation in an interactive form.”
Free movement and non-verbal communication in the real world and real space
Through this partnership, AVITA will develop a humanoid robot that combines its know-how with physical AI, and utilize KDDI’s communications infrastructure to tackle the labor shortage in customer service roles in various fields, including retail, medical care and welfare, entertainment, and culture and the arts, from a real-world perspective.
The humanoid robot’s functions have been expanded based on a design by AVITA’s CEO, Hiroshi Ishiguro, and it has a friendly appearance, including the use of silicone skin.
(Source: PR TIMES)
(Source: PR TIMES)
We can expect solutions to the labor shortage problem from both the real and imaginary worlds.
reference
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000080.000085375.html
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