Japan govt adopts 1st basic plan on AI

The basic plan stipulates that Japan will "create reliable AI" while balancing technological innovation and risk management, with an aim to become a country that offers the best environment for AI development and utilization.

Japan lags behind not only other advanced nations but also countries with smaller economies in terms of AI development, and the gap is becoming wider year by year, it warns.

The government is determined to reverse the situation by leveraging the country's high-quality data and communication environment, the basic plan says.

As a fundamental policy, the plan calls for accelerating AI utilization, promoting strategic enhancement of AI development capabilities, improving reliability of the new technology and continuing to renovate society with the help of AI.

Specifically, the plan seeks to expedite the introduction of AI into work at the central and local governments.

It also stresses the need to accelerate the development of basic models of domestic AI and so-called physical AI, which is combined with robots, calling them key tools that help Japan win the growing competition.

To dispel concerns among the public about the new technology, the basic plan calls for increasing the number of staff at the Japan AI Safety Institute, a government organization tasked with assessing the safety of AI.

Also stipulated in the plan is the importance of having elementary and junior high school students learn the basics of AI in order to nurture and secure AI experts.

The basic plan, drawn up on the basis of the AI promotion law enacted in May, will be updated every year for the time being.

The government hopes to compile a road map that includes an investment target next summer and reflect it in a revision of the basic plan.