Japan enacts bill to promote AI development and address its risks
Parliament on Wednesday enacted a bill to establish a new law that will promote the development of artificial intelligence while addressing risks associated with the technology.
The bill cleared the House of Councilors, the upper chamber, by a majority vote with support from the Liberal Democratic Party-led ruling bloc and opposition parties including the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Nippon Ishin no Kai. The measure had been adopted by the House of Representatives, the lower chamber, in April.
To address mounting concerns over the spread of false and erroneous information generated by AI tools, the new law includes a provision to allow the government to disclose the names of malicious businesses in the event of crime using AI.
The law states that if AI is used for malicious purposes, it may "facilitate crimes, leakage of personal information and copyright violations."
If a serious incident that infringes on citizens' rights and interests occurs, the government will conduct investigations, advise and instruct related business operators, provide information to the public and take other necessary actions. Companies will be required to cooperate with the government.
The law does not include penalty provisions so as not discourage technological development. Existing laws including the Penal Code and the copyright law will be applied, instead.
The government will set up a strategic team on AI comprising all Cabinet ministers to strengthen Japan's competitiveness. The team will also draft a government basic policy on AI.
Considering the rise in crimes involving pornography created with AI tools, the Cabinet committees of both chambers adopted a supplementary resolution calling for enhancing measures against issues related to deepfakes, or images, sounds and videos that seem realistic but are fabricated.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Times
2 hours ago
- Japan Times
Japanese universities step up to help international students after Harvard ban
Eighty-seven Japanese universities have announced support measures for international students in the United States, following an order barring Harvard University from accepting such students, the education ministry and the Japan Student Services Organization has said. The scope of students eligible for the support measures and the extent of such aid differ from university to university, they said Friday. Tohoku University said that it will accept undergraduates and graduate students enrolled in U.S. universities who face difficulties continuing their studies mainly due to the ban by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration. They will be accepted to the national university in northeastern Japan as nondegree students not required to pay tuition or enrollment fees. Many Japanese universities will accept those affected as regular students or nonregular occasional students, regardless of nationality or where they currently study. Some universities have said that such students will be exempt from tuition and be provided with lodging at dormitories. According to the student services organization, five other universities were considering support measures as of Friday. It will continue to update related information.
Japan Times
2 hours ago
- Japan Times
Japan to hold WWII panel discussions after summer Upper House election
The government will hold expert panel discussions on World War II after this summer's Upper House election, government sources have said. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's administration was considering setting up the panel as early as April. The start of the review will be delayed significantly as the government is busy tackling many important issues including tariff negotiations with the United States and soaring rice prices, the sources said Friday. The Ishiba administration is unlikely to release a government statement to mark this year's 80th anniversary of the country's surrender in the war. Previously, the government considered having the panel release a report on the outcome of its discussions toward the Aug. 15 anniversary. With the postponement of the review, the release will also be delayed. Ishiba told the Upper House Budget Committee on Monday that he is thinking about various possibilities over the way civilian control should be, based on lessons from the war. He was eager to show the world Japan's determination to remain a peaceful country. An official statement marking the war landmark was released by then-Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama at the 50th anniversary, Junichiro Koizumi at the 60th and Shinzo Abe at the 70th. Abe's 2015 statement expressed the government's intention to end its diplomacy of apologizing for its past, saying that future generations should not be forced to keep apologizing. Some lawmakers of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, mainly conservatives, are cautious about rekindling history issues by releasing a fresh statement.
NHK
2 hours ago
- NHK
13 Japanese among suspects detained in Malaysia over alleged scam
Police in Malaysia say nearly 20 people, including 13 Japanese, were detained over a suspected scam operation that apparently targeted Japan. The police announced that investigators detained 19 foreign nationals when they searched two locations believed to be the bases of a group of fraudsters in and around the capital, Kuala Lumpur, on May 13. The 13 Japanese are alleged to have made phone calls or sent texts to people in Japan, and had them transfer money to designated accounts by pretending to be police officers in Osaka and through other means. Investigators seized what appeared to be plots written in Japanese and clothes resembling police uniforms in Japan, as well as smartphones and personal computers. Malaysian police say six of the 13 Japanese were indicted and later released after paying penalties. In Southeast Asia, a series of telephone and other fraud cases involving Japanese nationals have been uncovered this year. Japanese and many other foreigners were found to have been engaged in scam operations in Myanmar. In Cambodia, over 20 Japanese were taken into custody late last month at an apparent fraud scheme hub.
