Japanese government to back AI boom

ISTANBUL

The boom and competition in artificial intelligence (AI) has forced the Japanese government to commit funds to the evolving sector.

The government will “speed up the development capabilities for artificial intelligence so that the nation can continue to innovate into the future,” Industry Minister Saito Ken said Monday.

With the latest decision, Tokyo aims to “advance the technology in Japan to match rivals like ChatGPT in the US,” according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK.

The government is committing 8.4 billion yen (around $56 million) for the purpose which will be utilized through local governments.

Under the scheme, at least seven organizations including a university and start-ups will get funds to develop AI software.

Those selected will get free access to data from the cloud services of Google for six months.

These organizations will develop large language models that support Japanese.​​​​​​​

“Such AI technology will have various industrial applications, including use in fully automated driving,” the report added.