From Biarritz,
In an interview with The Media Leader on the sidelines of the One To One Experience Client in Biarritz, Masahiro Hara, creator of the QRCode, looks back on the incredible epic of his invention 3 decades ago in Japan. Created for the automotive industry, the QRCode, for quick response code, has now entered daily life, as much for marketing and services as for art. It was one of the great tools used during the Covid-19 pandemic by supporting the famous “health pass”. With blockchain and AI, this should further experience new development dynamics.
In 1994, Masahiro Hara, an engineer from the Japanese company Denso Wave, invented the ???????????????????? ???????????????????????????????? ???????????????? to follow the route of spare parts in Toyota factories. · 60% of French people flashed a QR code over the last 12 months · 34 % of these flashers are regulars (at least once/week, up to several times/day) · 72% of flashers do it to save time, 61% for ease of access and 49% for the guarantee of access to the right site · 80% of flashers appreciate the use of QR codes by brands… (Resonance Study, 2nd edition: De-Encryption of the QR code, April 2023) 30 years later, with 7 billion users of smartphones in the world, his stroke of genius still has a bright future ahead of him! It had been more than 20 years since he had last come to France.
The Media Leader: You invented the QRCode 30 years ago. Initially, you developed this technology for the automotive industry. Did you think your invention would become ubiquitous across so many industries?
Masahiro Hara : At the time of its development, we believed that the QRCode would primarily be used in industry to optimize process efficiency and operational accuracy. However, I had not imagined that it would spread to this extent in the daily lives of citizens. Today, the QRCode is used in sectors as diverse as art, fashion and retail, where it reinvents the user experience by providing instant access to interactive and unique applications. In the field of art, for example, the French artist Qargo was one of the pioneers of the use of the QRCode. He has brilliantly merged technology and visual art by creating portraits from LEGO bricks, where the QRCode is integrated directly into the work. Once scanned, the QRCode reveals detailed information about the person represented, thus creating an interactive link between the physical world and the digital world.
This innovative approach by Qargo, which combines art, technology and identity, pushes the limits of what we envisioned during the first applications of the QRCode. This fusion opens up new perspectives to enrich visual and connected experiences.
AI technology can be integrated into QRCode readers to improve reading performance.
The Media Leader: With the emergence of new technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain, how do you see the future of QR Code? Do you think this technology will continue to evolve or will it be replaced by even more advanced innovations?
Masahiro Hara : If AI technology and blockchain are combined with QRCodes, their use could expand significantly. By integrating artificial intelligence into QR Code readers, reading performance could be improved. So even dirty, damaged or large QRCodes could be scanned quickly and reliably. This advancement would further expand the possibilities for using QRCodes.
The blockchain, for its part, guarantees the authenticity of the information obtained by scanning a QRCode, because it makes any falsification impossible. Thanks to this technology, it is possible to follow the traceability of a product, from its production to its sale, ensuring that the information is not altered. This allows, for example, consumers to verify the authenticity of a product. In the case of processed foods, the QRCode can provide detailed information on raw materials, processing conditions and traceability, providing full transparency and peace of mind to consumers.
QR Codes therefore make life safer and more secure. Their simplicity of creation and their reduced cost make them a tool accessible to everyone. It is unlikely that another information technology will replace QRCodes in the near future.
The Media Leader: During the pandemic, the QRCode has seen a resurgence, particularly in sectors like hospitality and events. In your opinion, what are the next challenges to be addressed in order to maximize the effectiveness and security of QRCode in a post-pandemic world?
Masahiro Hara : In Japan, natural disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons are common. During these events, telecommunications infrastructure often suffers damage, rendering the network unusable. This situation disrupts many operations. To overcome this problem, we are considering increasing the capacity of information that a QRCode can contain and allowing data stored on servers to be saved directly into the QRCode. This would allow you to continue working even in an offline environment.
However, to implement this solution, it is essential to improve the security of QRCodes. Currently, anyone can create them, and some are used for malicious purposes, including redirecting users to fraudulent sites. This is why I want to integrate an electronic authentication function into QRCodes, making it possible to reliably identify their creator and increase their security.
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