Japan’s AI Diplomacy
1. Prime Minister Kishida Fumio plans to participate in an OECD ministerial council meeting in Paris on May 2-3, where he will reveal Japan’s plan to launch a “friends meeting on AI issues” – a new dialogue framework on governing AI technology.
2. Japan has sought to establish a new global framework to discuss international regulations on the appropriate use of AI technology, as part of its AI diplomacy.
3. In 2016, Japan proposed basic rules for AI research and development at the G-7 Ise-Shima Summit. In 2023, it launched the “Hiroshima AI Process” initiative at the G-7 Hiroshima Summit.
4. In October 2023, the G-7 countries announced international guiding principles and a code of conduct for companies developing advanced AI systems.
5. Japan has been discussing effective international regulations on the use of generative AI tools like ChatGPT, aiming for comprehensive international rules by December 2023.
6. Domestically, Japan’s AI Strategy Council has been developing guidelines for AI-related businesses, and the Japan AI Safety Institute was established in February 2024.
7. Japan-U.S. collaboration on AI has strategic implications, given China’s AI investments and the EU’s comprehensive AI regulations.
8. At the OECD meeting, Kishida will propose an international AI regulation framework and highlight both the benefits and risks of AI technology.
9. Japan lacks comprehensive legal regulations on AI, unlike the UK and EU, and has been dubbed a “machine learning paradise” for AI users.
10. Japan must cooperate internationally, including with China, to control the development of lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS) and prepare for a potential technological singularity.