Qosmo employee interview (Interactive AI Engineer Ryosuke Nakajima)

Qosmo is a Tokyo-based collective consisting of AI researchers, engineers, artists, and designers, working on expanding human creativity using AI and exploring unknown music. We are exploring new possibilities of creativity and expression by making use of the latest technology including artificial intelligence in the process of creation, and is looking for people who share these values with us. To help you get to know about Qosmo, we conducted an interview with our employee. The third one is Ryosuke Nakajima, an interactive AI engineer.

Qosmo: Ryosuke Nakajima Born in 1995, joined the Qosmo in 2020. Position: Interactive AI Engineer

Can you introduce yourself?

My name is Ryosuke Nakajima. I studied at the Arts in Environmental Information at Keio University Shonan Fujisawa Campus (referred to as SFC), and during my first year as a master’s student, I interned at Qosmo. After I graduated the masters course at SFC, I joined Qosmo as a new graduate.

Can you tell me about your student days, what kind of interests did you have when you were a student? I was interested in programming, but the reason I joined SFC was not specifically to pursue Artificial intelligence. It all started because I had a passion for gaming. Personally, I enjoyed modifying games, and through that, I discovered that games are created through programming. That's when my interest in programming began. However, during my junior high and high school years, I was also a member of the soccer team, and even during my university days, I was heavily involved in soccer. In my undergraduate years, while learning the fundamentals of various programming languages and working on creative projects, I still spent a significant amount of time immersed in a lifestyle that revolved around playing soccer (laughs). For my research lab, I studied data visualization under Professor Akira Wakita.

How did you know about Qosmo? I became a third-year university student and started to consider my future, including job prospects. Around that time, I began to explore various options. It was during this period that I became acquainted with media art and started engaging in activities such as VJing. I started visiting various places, including the NTT InterCommunication Center [ICC], and attended many lectures, including a lecture by Mr. Tokui (our company's CEO and founder). It was a symposium with the theme “Can AI/Robotics bring happiness to people?” if I remember correctly. Mr. Tokui's presentation had quite a distinctive feel to it. Personally, I had always associated AI with optimization and similar concepts, but in Mr. Tokui's lecture, he talked about “creating new expressions by collaborating with AI.” Particularly, there was a memorable mention of viewing AI as “Alien Intelligence,” a concept attributed to Kevin Kelly, the founding editor of 'WIRED' magazine. While I was already familiar with Mr. Tokui and Qosmo through events like ‘2045,’ where they explore the future of music and technology using AI, it was during this symposium that I had the opportunity to hear his story in detail for the first time. When I looked at the Qosmo website, it seemed quite challenging, and I couldn't speak English well, so I didn't proceed with the application for intern (laughs). However, later on, news about the Parisian artist group ‘Obvious’ creating paintings with AI and auctioning a portrait at Christie's, a globally renowned auction house in London, caught my attention. This sparked my interest in studying the relationship between Art and AI.

While you knew about Qosmo, but you didn't end up applying for an internship at that time, can you share what prompted you to join Qosmo later on? When I was in Mr. Wakita's research lab, there was Mr. Scott Allen, an artist from Institute of Advanced Media Arts and Sciences. I became friends Mr. Allen and helped him with his art projects, and even served as a teaching assistant for his classes. During one of his lectures, Shoya Dozono, a computational designer/programmer who was with Qosmo from 2016 to 2022, came as a guest lecturer. After the lecture, there was a gathering, and during that time, I heard about an internship opportunity. I applied, even though the website mentioned a recruitment for AI engineers. At that time, I wasn't heavily involved in AI... I was working on real-time visualizations, and they were looking for an intern for that specific project. It wasn't mentioned on the website, but I ended up joining Qosmo as an intern under Mr. Dozono.

Why did you decide to continue working at Qosmo after your internship? I enrolled in the master's degree at SFC not out of a want to create art or engage in engineering, but rather because I wanted to study philosophy. It wasn't that I inherently loved art or possessed exceptional artistic or engineering skills. Even when I created art using mathematical formulas like generative art, there were times when I couldn't quite discern whether I was truly the creator of the artwork. It was after hearing the news about AI-generated art selling at Christie's that I became strongly interested in the relationship between art and AI. From there, my focus shifted more towards discussions about human consciousness, and for my master's, I wanted to delve into topics like AI and philosophy. While Qosmo's creations incorporate the latest technologies, I've come to realize that they often revolve around questioning the philosophy of the technology itself and the significance it holds. I find that this aspect aligns closely with my interests.

It seems that you sympathized with Qosmo's vision, didn't you? I had these interests even before joining Qosmo, but I shared this with Mr. Tokui after I got the internship at Qosmo. He said, 'If you want to think on philosophical matters and work on technology, there's nowhere else but Qosmo!’

What is your current job description? I am responsible for many aspects related to the visual elements. Broadly speaking, there are two main areas: art-related work and development work (client projects). In the art side, I create visuals for AI DJ performances and, more recently, I have been involved in producing art pieces for exhibition at SusHi Tech Square in Tokyo. I engage in conceptualizing artworks, experimenting with various ideas, and overseeing the production process. On the development side, I also work on tasks such as training AI models and more engineering activities. It's quite a diverse range of tasks that I handle.

You engage in art work to client work, is there anything specific that you prioritize in projects? Certainly, it varies depending on the specific details of the project, but when it comes to visual production, we are always conscious of the quality. When using AI to create visual images, there is a tendency to find meaning in the fact that AI is being used. However, even if the process is remarkable and fascinating, if the quality is not up to par, we absolutely won't use it. That is a crucial point we value. On the other hand, in the development aspect, what we consider important is delving deep into and researching the latest technologies before incorporating them. We make sure not to use them superficially without thorough research.

Can you tell me about a project that left a lasting impression on you so far?

“Emergent Rhythm” left a lasting impression as it was performed at events such as MUTEK.JP and Sonar+D. Additionally, during my second year of graduate school, Mr. Tokui became an associate professor in SFC, and at that time, we worked on a project called “UNLABELED” in Tokui's lab. This project continued even after I joined Qosmo, making it particularly memorable. The project aimed to develop a camouflage pattern generation system to protect individuals from the surveillance of AI societies. It started with applying camouflage patterns to T-shirts and eventually led to sale of limited-time such as parkas and tote bags at Shibuya PARCO in TOKYO.

How do you feel about working at Qosmo? Firstly, there is a great deal of discretion and freedom. However, with that comes the need to produce high-quality work, so responsibility is definitely involved. Due to the small team size, I often find myself working independently, requiring both deep expertise and a breadth of knowledge. The team atmosphere is excellent, and everyone is quite open, engaging in discussions ranging from the latest news to personal topics. The work environment is comfortable with plenty flexibility, including the option to work remotely. And there are Non-Japanese employees, English is frequently used for communication within the company. Initially, I struggled with English and hesitated to speak first. But everyone is so kind, and I took English conversation classes, and through many conversations with them, my English improved without me even realizing it (laughs).

Surfing lessons during the summer research trip, very Qosmo-esque

In the summer research trip, Nakajima enjoyed surfing

Cherry blossom viewing in Spring

Can you convey a message to those who are interested in Qosmo. I believe that having technical skills is essential, but more importantly, I value enthusiasm. Someone who has the motivation to learn and absorb various things. If you are such a person, you can study on your own, and since Qosmo provides an environment where it's easy to propose projects, I believe that individuals with such motivation can prosper at Qosmo.

We are recruiting for multiple positions, so we look forward to receiving applications from those who are interested in our company. Please check the details on our career page and contact us for inquiries.