On a personal note, today, January 9th, marks six months since I underwent laparoscopic kidney surgery. I’ve written about various episodes from that time in a previous blog, so if you’re interested, please take a look:
This time, I’d like to discuss something I’ve been contemplating since the very beginning of our vein authentication business, long before my hospital stay: trade-offs.
A trade-off refers to a situation where achieving one goal means compromising another—essentially, a relationship where “you can’t have your cake and eat it too.” However, since its inception, mofiria has been advocating that our vein authentication technology resolves the trade-off between “high security” and “simplicity and convenience”, making both achievable simultaneously.
The adoption of our technology by the University of Tokyo Hospital is one of the results of this success.
Looking at the world as a whole, however, I’ve observed certain phenomena where technological advancements have not resolved trade-offs but instead made them more pronounced. Here are a couple of examples:
1) Contactless Payments
Using credit cards or smartphones for contactless payments is incredibly convenient, and once you start, there’s no turning back.
Compared to the old days of signing receipts or entering PINs, the difference feels like night and day.
However, from a security standpoint, if a card or an active smartphone is lost or stolen, anyone can use it.
Even with spending limits in place, there are numerous cases where significant amounts are spent before the transactions are flagged and stopped.
Wouldn’t it be great if there were a system to automatically verify that the person making the payment is the rightful owner?
2) AI Advancement and Brain Activity
Since the release of ChatGPT in November 2022, generative AI has rapidly gained momentum.
I now rely on generative AI almost daily for both personal and professional tasks. It has significantly reduced the time I spend agonizing over crafting messages or translating them into English.
But is it okay to rely on it this much? Even if we put aside concerns about the inaccuracies of AI-generated content or potential copyright infringements, could excessive dependence on AI reduce mental exertion and accelerate brain aging?
When it comes to improving productivity in Japan, is individual cognitive effort seen as a secondary concern? (← Perhaps this is a bit biased!)
Many corporate executives accustomed to being chauffeured everywhere during their tenure often find their physical stamina naturally improved when they move to smaller companies without such perks, requiring them to commute daily on foot and by train.
I can’t help but think the same principle might apply to mental activity as well. As a middle-aged individual, this is something I often reflect upon.
