The workshop brings together scholars and researchers from Japan, Germany and the U.S. to discuss a social science research agenda in the face of the oncoming digital revolution, i.e., the arrival of the internet-of-things, with artificial intelligence, ubiquitous sharing, autonomous systems, and the so-called Industry 4.0, Society 5.0 and Life 3.0.

So far, futuristic visions of the implications associated with digital connectivity, big data and AI have been mostly the bailiwick of engineers and science fiction authors. The social sciences are only just now beginning to seriously consider the subject matter.