Society 5.0 and MA-Infused Intelligence: A Transcultural Framework for Human–Machine Co-Being in the Post-Anthropocene

This article presents a pioneering synthesis between Society 5.0—Japan’s human-centered super-smart society—and the Japanese spatial-temporal philosophy of MA (間), conceptualized as an ethical-relational interval. Building on recent Japanese scholarship (2020–2025), we introduce the notion of MA-Infused Intelligence (MAII), a new transcultural paradigm for guiding the integration of AI, robotics, and social technologies. Rather than optimizing for productivity or surveillance, MAII proposes an alternative ontological and ethical vision where AI systems are attuned to inter-being, ambiguity, and mutual flourishing. The paper explores MA's application in AI design, urban space, digital governance, and post-growth economics. By reframing Society 5.0 as a civilizational shift rather than a techno-economic project, the article contributes to the urgent need for human–machine relational ethics, transcultural intelligence models, and post-anthropocentric governance systems.