Design of Gaming Simulations for Human–Technology Coexistence

Project purpose

This research aims to further develop the work conducted at this research center (April 2023–March 2026) under the theme “Designing and Managing Sustainable Service Systems.” Building on this foundation, the study seeks to clarify how decision-making, improvement, and learning can be realized in service settings characterized by human resource constraints and uncertainty, through gaming simulations addressing human–technology coexistence. Inheriting the center’s prior focus on identifying “satisficing” states that are feasible in practice rather than pursuing theoretically optimal solutions, this research aims to construct a design framework that enables experiential examination of the dynamic interactions between human and technological elements.

Research subjects and methods

This research centers on gaming simulations addressing human–technology coexistence and examines decision-making, operational improvement, and learning processes in service and business settings through the integrated processes of design, implementation, and evaluation. Gaming simulation is positioned not merely as an educational tool, but as a research methodology that enables experiential and structural examination of situations in which human and technological elements interact. Through this approach, the study aims to establish design principles that support practically feasible decision-making and improvement activities in real-world contexts.

First, based on analyses of service operations and workplace practices, the research identifies the core challenges that arise under rapid DX (Digital Transformation) implementation. A foundational model is then developed that explicitly incorporates key design variables, such as the coexistence ratio between human and technological elements and the extent to which analog elements are intentionally retained. Using this model, gaming simulations are modeled and implemented, and interactions and decision-making behaviors among firms, customers, and employees are examined through gaming experiments. These experiments serve to validate the theoretical model and to clarify changes in participants’ judgment and learning processes.

Next, AI-supported facilitation and decision-support functions are incorporated into both the execution and debriefing phases of gaming simulations, with the aim of systematizing operational methods that enable high learning outcomes even for novice participants. In parallel, methodologies are developed to improve the efficiency and sophistication of gaming simulation design, implementation, and pre-testing through the use of generative AI. Furthermore, training systems aimed at enhancing decision-making skills are constructed and evaluated using unstructured workplace data and language-based interactions.

In addition, collaborative research with private-sector organizations is conducted to develop and validate gaming simulations that are robust enough for practical use, and to examine their applicability to service DX initiatives and operational reform. Insights obtained through this research are integrated by cyclically linking foundational models, gaming simulations, AI-supported methods, and practical applications. Ultimately, the research seeks to systematize these insights as design principles for decision-making and learning support that are transferable across industries and operational domains, thereby establishing a sustainable framework for the application of gaming simulations in both educational and practical settings.