Global push for AI education leads world's most powerful economies on divergent paths
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Consider the case of Japan, which is facing significant demographic challenges with nearly a third of its population aged 65 or older – for perspective, compare that to a more manageable 15 per cent in China. Japan is making a substantial bet on AI, hoping it can help maintain productivity and economic stability as its workforce shrinks.
However, it has considerable ground to cover. According to Stanford University's 2025 AI Index Report, Japan's private investment in AI in 2024 was only US$0.93 billion. This pales in comparison to the US (US$109.08 billion), China (US$9.29 billion) and the UK (US$4.52 billion), and is even behind regional players like South Korea and India.
AIREC, an AI-driven humanoid robot, demonstrates a manoeuvre for changing linen or preventing bedsores with a researcher at Waseda University's laboratory in Tokyo. Japan is seeking ways to use AI to maintain economic stability while coping with an ageing workforce. Photo: Reuters
To address this, the Japanese parliament passed the Act on the Promotion of Research and Development and the Utilisation of AI-Related Technologies in May, recognising AI technologies as 'fundamental … for the development of Japan's economy and society'.
'The truth is that every job will be affected by AI at some point,' says Liu Haihao, a machine learning researcher at Algoverse and founder of the non-profit Ternity Education. 'But the bigger point is that AI literacy is crucial for everyone since we all interact with AI in our daily lives, even indirectly, due to social media algorithms and AI-generated content.'
Japan's older workforce, however, might face an uphill battle in achieving widespread AI literacy. Liu notes, 'In Southeast Asian countries where 50 to 60 per cent of the population are under 30, this is an advantage in terms of having a workforce with high digital and AI literacy, to fully leverage new technologies.'
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Despite Japan's efforts, most eyes remain fixed on the US and China, whose combined private AI investments far outstrip every other country in the world. These two global powers, however, have adopted vastly different philosophies on education around AI.
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