• Panasonic has created an AI-powered digital clone of its late founder.
• Project highlights the use of AI in legacy preservation but raises ethical and cultural questions.

Imagine sitting down with one of the greatest business minds in business history, someone who shaped an entire industry but passed away decades ago. That’s Panasonic’s latest idea is: an AI-powered digital recreation of its late founder, Konosuke Matsushita. Using thousands of his writings, speeches, and over 3,000 voice recordings, Panasonic has digitally brought the man known as Japan’s ‘god of management’ back to virtual life.

The concept is as ambitious as it sounds. Matsushita, who passed away in 1989, was a legendary figure in Japanese business. His vision and leadership transformed Panasonic into a global consumer electronics powerhouse. Many people still regard his teachings, recorded in his book The Path, to be essential education. However, as time passes, fewer people are directly connected with his philosophy. That’s where the AI clone steps in.

As reported by The Japan Times, Panasonic describes its goal as simple yet profound: “As the number of people who received training directly from Matsushita has been on the decline, we decided to use generative AI technology to pass down our group’s founding vision to the next generation.” Developed in collaboration with the Matsuo Institute, affiliated with the University of Tokyo, the AI model doesn’t just replicate Matsushita’s voice—it captures how he thought and spoke, the company claims. And Panasonic isn’t stopping there; the company hopes to use this digital clone in the future to assist with business decisions.

If all this sounds far-fetched and futuristic, it’s not without precedent. In South Korea, a documentary showed a grieving mother interacting with a VR recreation of her deceased seven-year-old daughter. Through advanced photogrammetry and motion capture, the child’s likeness, voice, and even mannerisms were brought to life in a virtual environment. The experience allowed the mother to hold her daughter’s hand and celebrate her birthday—moments that were both heartwarming and heart-wrenching. While many praised the emotional healing potential, others raised concerns about exploitation and the psychological risks of revisiting such painful memories.

Projects like these raise a universal question: where do we draw the line between honouring someone’s legacy and reinterpreting it for modern purposes? For Panasonic, cultural context plays a key role. In Japan, there is deep respect for ancestors and forebears, making Matsushita’s digital revival more likely to be seen as a tribute than creepy. And let’s not overlook the technological implications—this project enhances Panasonic’s AI credentials, positioning the company as a leader in the field.

Panasonic has been working on AI for some time. It just released ContextFlow++, a generative AI model showing promising results in image classification, predictive maintenance, and anomaly detection. It all falls under a broader strategy that involves the company’s investments in EV batteries, hydrogen energy, workplace digitalisation, and supply chain software.

As exciting as these innovations are, they also raise significant ethical and practical questions. How well can an AI clone truly replicate a person’s intentions or personality? Does it preserve their legacy, or does it alter it to meet modern needs? And will Panasonic’s use of Matsushita’s digital clone in business decisions erode the distinction between historical wisdom and contemporary innovation?

These questions are as intriguing as the technology itself, leaving us to wonder: are we preserving history, or are we rewriting it in ones and zeros?

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