Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday (October 9) promised to include measures to promote the development of artificial intelligence (AI) in the economic package to be unveiled at the end of this month.
A UN-sponsored forum on Internet public Policy Issues (IGF) opened in Kyoto on Sunday, focusing on artificial intelligence and measures to combat disinformation. Mr. Kishida made the comments at the forum on Monday.
Kishida noted that the Japanese government plans to fund the development of computing resources and basic computing models to better handle the large amounts of data used for AI development.
Kishida also said that the government will also allocate special funds to promote the application of artificial intelligence in small and medium-sized enterprises, medical care and other fields.
Furthermore, in the fight against false images and other forms of disinformation, it would be important and effective to urgently establish a technology to identify and verify the source of the information being sent.
False images and other forms of disinformation are often generated using generative artificial intelligence (AIGC).
At the ongoing forum, the Japanese government is collecting opinions from various stakeholders such as AI developers and researchers. Many of these ideas will be reflected in the Hiroshima AI Process.
The progress report is a framework for the Group of Seven (G7) nations to discuss how to regulate the generation of artificial intelligence. In this framework, the G7 will develop rules on AI-related topics to avoid misuse of the technology.
In addition, Kishida said Monday that the G7 is preparing for an online summit as early as the fall, where it will develop international guidelines for AI developers.
At the same forum, Japan's Digital Minister Taro Kono also stressed that the development of an AI code of conduct needs more countries to join the dialogue.
On the same day, Vera Jourova, the European Commission's vice president for values and transparency, said in an interview that Japan and Europe have a lot of convergence in their views on AI and generative AI.
The European Union has taken the lead in regulating emerging technologies with tough AI legislation, while Japan is seeking more flexible guidelines than the EU to boost economic growth.