Contest Overview

EVALUATION

Judging and Mentoring System: Evaluation Through Co-creation

KCP prototype 2026 does not use the conventional system in which works compete for rank in a closed jury room. Instead, we aim for open judging as a "Living Lab (a living proving ground)," where diverse perspectives meet and works are refined through dialogue.

We use "Open Platform Judging," in which Supporters, creators, Sponsors, AI and the KCF Executive Committee each take part in their own role, and works are evaluated as a whole, together with the perspective of Advisors who oversee the entire process.

Roles of the different participants in judging

1. 01 Supporters, Creators and Sponsors

   Through votes, surveys and feedback, they measure how strongly a work resonates with people and what impact it has on society and business.

2. 02 AI

   Analyzes the novelty and structural features of expression from data, and presents them as supporting indicators that are not biased by personal opinion or genre.

3. 03 KCF Executive Committee

   Brings together the community's enthusiasm and the AI analysis, and makes an overall judgment in light of the principles of creativity, diversity and circulation, and of the work's wider social impact.

4. 04 Advisors

   Not authorities who give scores. From a position independent of any conflict of interest, the Advisors oversee the whole judging process and serve as a "third eye," watching that it does not stray from the essence of creativity.

Why we have "no experts"

To evaluate works that assume a mix of genres on a level field, without forcing them into existing frameworks, we do not appoint specialist judges tied to a particular genre. We respect the strength that comes from exploring one field in depth, while evaluating the change that comes from encounters with other fields and with AI.

The role and limits of AI

• Pattern recognition vs. creative leaps: AI analysis identifies trends and features based on past data. It cannot put a number on all of the unpredictable associations people make or the flashes of insight that go beyond context.
• Subjectivity in aesthetic judgment: What we feel is beautiful or new changes with the times and with culture. Artistic value is never decided by AI indicators alone.
• Hallucination and bias: We assume that reference data can be biased and that generated information can be wrong. For this reason, AI is positioned not as a sole judge but as an analyst that supports multiple perspectives.

We evaluate the process of evolution, not only the finished work

We also value "the process itself," in which works change through votes, surveys and discussion on the Forum. Making public the process in which objective AI analysis, community enthusiasm and the Executive Committee's judgment make up for each other's limits is also a key experimental theme of Prototype 2026.

AI POLICY

KCP (Kagoshima Creative Platform) AI Usage Guidelines

Reference translation — the Japanese version is the official text. Japanese version (official text)

KCP aims to create a new cultural economic sphere where technology and human creativity collaborate. These guidelines serve as a framework for building an environment where creators can take on challenges with confidence and where diverse forms of expression are evaluated fairly.

1. KCP’s Stance on AI (Roles and Limitations)

At KCP, we position AI not as an "absolute judge" that determines success or value, but as an "analytical partner" that illuminates human creativity from multiple perspectives.

(1) Distinction between pattern recognition and creative leaps:

AI-driven analysis and scoring are based on pattern analysis of characteristics and composition derived from existing data. AI cannot quantify the entirety of human traits—such as unpredictable associations, emotional flashes of inspiration, and the reinterpretation of context across boundaries.

(2) Subjectivity and diversity in aesthetic evaluation:

Definitions of "beauty" and "novelty" are constantly shifting based on era, culture, and individual sensibilities. We do not determine a work's artistic value solely based on AI-calculated metrics regarding formal beauty or compositional logic.

(3) Acknowledging hallucinations and bias:

Recognizing the potential for bias in training data and AI-specific errors (hallucinations), we do not rely on AI for judging in isolation. Instead, we employ an "Open Platform Judging" system where three elements—objective AI analysis, the enthusiasm of the supporter community, and the philosophical judgment of the executive committee—complement each other's limitations.

(4) Evaluating the process (evolution):

KCP values not only the finished work but also the "process of co-creation" itself—where the work evolves through dialogue in voting, surveys, and forums.

2. Submission Rules and Ensuring Rights & Transparency (AI Policy)

(1) Obligation to Declare AI Usage (Process Transparency)

• Mandatory Declaration: If generative AI tools (for images, video, music, text, code, etc.) are used during the production process, applicants must declare the "names of the tools used" and the "extent and role of AI utilization within the overall production" at the time of submission.
• Ensuring Fairness: The mere fact that AI was used, or the extent of its usage, will not result in a direct disadvantage during scoring. Evaluations will be conducted based on appropriate criteria while maintaining transparency.

(2) Protection and Management of Copyrights and Legal Rights

• Prohibition of Rights Infringement: Submissions containing AI-generated content that infringes upon the copyrights, trademark rights, or publicity rights of others are strictly prohibited. AI-generated works that intentionally mimic existing works will be excluded from judging.
• Verification of Training Data and Licenses: Applicants are responsible for verifying that the AI tools used do not unfairly infringe upon third-party rights and that the licenses permit commercial use and submission to this contest.
• KCP Support: The KCP Secretariat will serve as the point of contact and take responsibility for addressing any questions or issues regarding rights and license management.

3. Guidelines for Creators (Questions to Consider During Production)

KCP deeply explores the value of human creativity in the age of AI. Please keep the following questions in mind when creating your work:

(1) Challenging Originality (Sensitivity and Leaps of Thought):

The process of starting with a "unique sense of unease or emotional resonance (sensitivity)," moving through "unknown ideas (leaps of association)," and finally "realizing the work" represents the essential human creativity that AI cannot replicate. Use the average solutions presented by AI as a stimulus or a springboard, and aim for a creative realm that only you can express.

(2) Collaboration as Complementary Partners:

Do not use AI merely as a tool to save effort; instead, utilize it as a dialogue partner to bounce ideas off of. The unexpected "chemical reactions" born from interacting with AI are the key to creating unprecedented forms of expression.

(3) Information Verification and Ethical Guardrails:

AI-generated information and materials may contain hallucinations (factual errors). Creators are responsible for distinguishing between facts and truth. Furthermore, we require that work be produced with constant awareness of appropriate ethical guardrails to eliminate discriminatory or violent expressions, hate speech, and unjust biases.

4. Guideline Implementation and Revision

These guidelines will be flexibly revised and updated in response to technological advancements, the formation of social consensus, and changes in legal frameworks, based on advice from the KCF Executive Committee, experts, and advisors.

This agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Japan. In the event of any discrepancy between the Japanese version and the English version, the Japanese version shall prevail.

(Supplementary Provisions)
Date of Enactment: October 1, 2026