TOKYO – Japan aims to boost computing power to excel in artificial intelligence, said Hideki Murai, special AI adviser to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Murai added that the government prioritizes computing power to establish the foundations for an AI era.
Japan, the third-largest economy globally, has been slow in investing in AI and lags behind the United States in computer infrastructure. The country’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) offers 0.8 exaflops of computing power to 3,000 companies, while Microsoft-backed OpenAI had access to ten times that power.
By the end of 2024, Japan plans to increase AIST’s computing power to 2.8 exaflops. The government is providing subsidies to companies like Sakura Internet and SoftBank Corp to build supercomputers.
While the Japanese government can provide data for AI training, it expects businesses to create the AI models to drive innovation. Murai likened this strategy to how Japan nurtured baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani.
As Japan explores AI’s potential, the Group of Seven countries is also discussing how to manage its social and economic impact. Japan leans towards adopting softer AI rules compared to the European Union’s strict requirements on tech firms disclosing copyrighted material used in AI content.
(Reporting by Tim Kelly, Sam Nussey and Miho Uranaka; Editing by Sam Holmes)
Credit: The Star : Tech Feed
