Jun 05, 2023 07:00:00

Pointing out that ``Japan is trying to do its utmost to develop AI technology,'' what is different about Japan?

The development of generative AI technology such as chat AI and image generation AI is showing rapid progress, and generative AI has appeared in everyday life, such as

being incorporated into search engines and being able to generate images from browsers. doing. Meanwhile, Delos Prime, one of the authors of Technomancers.ai, a blog that deals with technology-related topics, points out that ``Japan is showing its full potential in AI technology.''

Japan Goes All In: Copyright Doesn't Apply To AI Training
https://technomancers.ai/japan-goes-all-in-copyright-doesnt-apply-to-ai-training/

Mr. Prime noted MEXT Minister

Keiko Nagaoka 's answer to a question at the House of Representatives' Accounts and Administration Oversight Committee on April 24, 2023. Nagaoka, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, was asked by Takashi Kii , a member of the House of Representatives of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, about the 'legal system of Japan regarding AI-based learning.' It is possible to use the work for AI learning regardless of the method, whether it is content obtained from an illegal site or the like.' The state of the settlement administration monitoring committee can be seen from the following movie, and the answer will start around 1 hour 18 minutes.

[# Diet relay] Second subcommittee of the House of Representatives Settlement Administration Monitoring Committee-April 24, 2020-YouTube


In Japan, the Copyright Act was revised in 2018, and the content that `` In principle, copyrighted works can be used freely within the limit necessary for `` information analysis '' has been added, and Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Nagaoka's answer is also this revision It is content-based. Regarding the legal part, Mr. Taichi Kakinuma of STORIA Law Office, who participated as a member of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's ' Contract Guidelines for Use of AI and Data ' and ' Contract Guidelines for Manufacturing Startups ', said the following. is announcing its opinion.

Automatic image generation AI such as Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, mimic and copyright | For legal advice on intellectual property, IT, artificial intelligence, and venture business [STORIA Law Office]
https://storialaw.jp/blog/8820

Automatic image generation AI such as Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, and mimic and copyrights (Part 2) | For legal advice on intellectual property, IT, artificial intelligence, and venture business [STORIA Law Office]
https://storialaw.jp/blog/8883

Mr. Prime praised Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Nagaoka's answer as 'a bold stance.' 'Although it is rarely reported in the English-speaking world, the Japanese government seems to believe that copyright concerns, particularly those related to anime and other visual media, are impeding the progress of Japan's AI technology. In response, Japan has chosen a wholly copyright-free approach to remain competitive.'

Mr. Prime also introduced that the Japanese semiconductor company ' Rapidus ' is in the limelight in the world of semiconductors for AI. Rapidus has received a subsidy of 260 billion yen from the Japanese government in April 2023, and aims to domestically produce cutting-edge semiconductors that are essential for self-driving cars and AI. ``These news are part of Japan's ambitious plans to become a leader in the world of AI technology,'' Prime argued.

260 billion yen subsidy for advanced semiconductor 'Rapidus' new factory Official announcement Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry | NHK | Economic security
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20230425/k10014048251000.html

Mr. Prime said, ``Not everyone in Japan agrees with this decision.Many creators of anime and illustrations are worried that the appearance of AI will reduce the value of their works. pointed out. On the other hand, he argues that academic and business communities are putting pressure on the government to ease regulations on the handling of data related to AI in order to give Japan a global edge in the field of AI. .

“Japan’s economic growth has been sluggish since the 1990s,” Prime said. The AI push could boost Japan's GDP by more than 50%, and after years of sluggish economic growth, the AI push will be exciting.'

Mr. Prime also pointed out that what is important for AI is ``having a lot of available, high-quality training data.'' Mr. Prime argued that although the amount of learning data for Japanese is significantly smaller than that for English, there are plenty of training resources in Japan because of the world-famous anime content.

Mr. Prime said, ``From a global perspective, Japan's move raises questions about AI regulation.In the current debate, it is assumed that developing countries will ignore the global framework and gain the upper hand as a rogue nation. But Japan, the world's third-largest economy, has said it will not hinder AI research and development. We are preparing to compete directly with Western countries,” he said, arguing that Japan is trying to outsmart the United States and Europe with AI technology.