French-Japanese Foundation events in early 2026

In partnership with the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), the Fondation France-Japon (FFJ) hosted, in the beginning of March 2026, the 4th International Forum on Intelligence Augmentation and Amplification plus Society (IAA+Soc), a major academic gathering devoted to examining the future of societies shaped by artificial intelligence. The event brought together junior and senior researchers from France and Japan, with diverse academic backgrounds.
Building on the success of previous editions held in 2022, 2023 and 2025, this year’s event helped to strengthen discussions around the creation of a joint publication, based on the exchanges from previous editions.

The forum concluded with a public roundtable held at Sorbonne Université’s Pierre et Marie Curie campus on 3 March, entitled “Understanding AI Developments and Their Impact on Society and the Economy: Insights from a Japan-EU Dialogue.” The session offered an opportunity to share the main outcomes of the IAA+Soc initiative launched in 2019 by JST and FFJ.
Moderated by Sébastien Lechevalier, the discussion featured Raja Chatila, Mizuki Miura and Jun Kato, who highlighted both the differences and common ground between Japanese and European approaches to AI.

The panelists also underlined the importance of joint research on the legal, cultural, economic, and social impacts of AI, identifying these areas as central to understanding how emerging technologies are reshaping contemporary societies. Finally, they stressed the need to mobilize a broad range of stakeholders to develop tools in education, law, and international governance in order to mitigate potential negative effects while amplifying AI’s positive contributions.
Those events confirm the growing strength of French-Japanese and Japan-EU cooperation in the field of AI.

Source: French-Japanese Foundation