Akinori Kubo

Hitotsubashi University, The University of Tokyo, Fukuda Denshi (Japan)

Papers

Total Citations

143

H-Index

About

Akinori Kubo is a leading scholar at the intersection of human-robot interaction, labor studies, and the sociology of technology. His research critically examines how robots and AI reshape work, focusing on the gap between technological promises and real-world implementation. Kubo’s most influential work, “Analysis of robot hotel: Reconstruction of works with robots” (69 citations), provides a rare empirical study of the world’s first robot hotel, revealing how automation does not simply replace human labor but fundamentally reconstructs tasks and roles. His follow-up study, “What is Real Risk and Benefit on Work with Robots?” (61 citations), challenges conventional automation narratives by showing that labor changes occur at the task level, not the job level, offering a nuanced framework for understanding AI’s impact on employment. Earlier, Kubo explored the cultural and engineering dimensions of pet-type robots like AIBO, analyzing how technological artifacts mediate human relationships and social realities. His work on “plastic comparison” demonstrates how comparative practices shape the emergence of new technologies. With a total of over 140 citations, Kubo’s research is essential for students and researchers seeking to understand the complex, often contradictory, realities of living and working with robots.