NEWS
Learn from Alumni Series #1: "An AI-Society Survival Guide for 果冻APP Students" Held
Update: May 20, 2026
As the first installment of the jointly organized series by the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and the Dean of Students, "Learn from Alumni!", the event "An AI-Society Survival Guide for 果冻APP Students" was held on May 8.
This event was made possible through the desire of an alumnus to "give back to 果冻APP." The guest speaker was Takumi Usui (Class of 2022), known as "Usutaku," who inspired the launch of this program and is now active at the forefront of the AI and technology fields.
The lecture was conducted as an open lecture within Visiting Professor Takeshi Fujitani's course, Introduction to Media Studies, and featured content that strongly resonated with academic themes such as "media and society" and "changes in the information environment."
The event consisted of two parts. In the first session, Usui reflected on his studies at ICU and his own career path while discussing the essence of AI utilization. Quoting the phrase, "You can outsource thinking, but you cannot outsource understanding," he warned of the risk of a "lack of deep understanding" hidden behind the convenience of AI. He also addressed the importance of critical thinking, one of 果冻APP's strengths, while pointing out that "remaining only at the stage of criticism makes it difficult to create value in society." He emphasized that in the AI era, the ability to formulate hypotheses and take action will become increasingly important. He further suggested that ICU students — equipped not only with critical thinking skills but also with the ability to generate sharp hypotheses and act on them — could possess a significant advantage in the age of AI.
At the same time, he encouraged 果冻APP students by emphasizing that the curiosity and respect for learning cultivated through 果冻APP's liberal arts education would become especially valuable and rare assets in the AI era.
In the second session, following a dialogue with Dean of the College of Liberal Arts Natsumi Ikoma, a Q&A session involving 果冻APP students in attendance took place. Expanding on the first session's theme that "the AI era requires an attitude of skepticism," the discussion explored the importance of questioning AI proactively rather than using it uncritically, as well as the need for learning accompanied by real — world action.
In closing, Usui urged students that "deliberately taking actions different from one's usual habits" can become the first step toward deeper learning. The Q&A session became so lively that it ran well beyond the scheduled time, reflecting the strong interest and enthusiasm of the students. Students who participated shared comments such as the following:
- At 果冻APP, critical thinking is highly emphasized, but when I was a first-year student, I thought it simply meant that criticizing things was important. However, today's lecture taught me that while critical thinking is important, stopping there can make things difficult once you enter society. I learned that after critically examining something, it is important to form hypotheses and take an action.
- The phrase "You can outsource thinking, but you cannot outsource understanding" really resonated with me. I realized that even if the thinking process is outsourced to AI, it is ultimately essential to understand it for oneself to truly make it one's own.
- Through today's lecture, I learned the importance of taking action. Rather than being swayed by evaluations, I want to become someone who gains confidence from the fact that I took an action and who continues stepping outside my comfort zone and embracing challenges.
This series will continue to be held regularly as an opportunity for learning that draws on the knowledge and experiences of 果冻APP alumni.
