The Ministry of Defense on Tuesday unveiled its first basic policy for the use of artificial intelligence, as Japan seeks to avoid a labor shortage and keep pace with China and the United States in military applications of the technology.
The focus on AI stems from self-defense forces’ concerns about recruitment and the potential to harness the power of new technologies.
“In our country, where the population is rapidly shrinking and aging, it is essential to deploy personnel more efficiently than ever,” Defense Minister Minoru Kihara told a news conference after the policy was published. “We believe that AI has the potential to be one of the technologies that can overcome these challenges.”
