Project Humanity Wins at Fast Company's World Changing Ideas Awards 2025

NTT is promoting "Project Humanity"¹, an initiative aimed at creating a society where everyone can achieve well-being.
　This project seeks to address challenges faced not only by people with illnesses or disabilities, but also by those who support them.
　We are pleased to announce that a joint initiative with Dentsu Lab Tokyo², designed to support individuals with severe physical disabilities, has been selected for the 2025 World Changing Ideas Awards³ by Fast Company, a globally renowned business magazine.

The World Changing Ideas Awards recognize innovative ideas and projects that strive to make the world a better place, based on criteria such as social impact, environmental sustainability, technological innovation, and social equity.

In this initiative, we have worked closely with individuals with disabilities to explore what can be done right now.
　By leveraging various interface technologies, such as electromyography (EMG), force sensors, and eye tracking, we aim to make it easier for people to participate in society by applying these technologies to digital avatars and gaming environments.

To date, we have collaborated with Mr. Masatane Muto, Founder and Representative Director of WITH ALS⁴, who continues his music career as an "EYE VDJ" after being diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), to deliver digital avatar-based music performances.
　We have also held inclusive events such as "DE&I⁵ eSports", where individuals living with conditions like spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and muscular dystrophy interacted with local children and connected with audiences on stages such as at Cannes.

Through these efforts, realizing dreams like performing as a DJ and fostering natural human connection, we have come to believe that, even with physical limitations, technology can empower people to pursue their passions and actively participate in society.
　A world where physical conditions do not limit one's potential offers broader choices and the promise of a more inclusive future for everyone.

We see this award as recognition that our initiative represents a groundbreaking solution to social challenges, and it further encourages us to continue and expand these efforts.
　We also believe that the key lies not just in generating ideas, but in sustaining and evolving them into lasting change.

Moving forward, we remain committed to promoting initiatives like this to help build a world where people of all backgrounds, including those with illnesses or disabilities, can fully participate in society.

¹NTT is working to realize and promote "Project Humanity," an initiative launched in collaboration with diverse stakeholders and like-minded partners to address social challenges.
https://group.ntt/jp/magazine/blog/project_humanity/ (Japanese)

²Dentsu Lab Tokyo (Chuo-ku, Tokyo) is a creative R&D organization that integrates research, planning, and development to create emotionally resonant expressions and address the urgent social issues of our time.
https://dentsulab.tokyo/

³The World Changing Ideas Awards were established in 2017 by Fast Company, a North American business magazine covering innovation, entrepreneurship, design, and technology. The awards recognize initiatives by a wide range of entities including corporations, non-profits, universities, startups, and individuals.

⁴WITH ALS (Minato-ku, Tokyo; Founder and Representative Director: Masatane Muto) is a general incorporated association whose mission is to build a borderless society where everyone can pursue their own challenges, starting with efforts to address ALS-related issues.
https://withals.com/

⁵DE&I stands for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, a concept focused on creating a diverse and inclusive environment by providing appropriate tools and resources tailored to individual needs in order to ensure fairness.