Japan risks becoming an ‘AI colony’, its digital minister warns Japan’s digital minister, Hisashi Matsumoto, has warned the country could become an “AI colony” if it doesn’t accelerate its AI development. He is advocating for a bill that would allow AI developers to use sensitive personal data, such as medical and criminal records, without individual consent, arguing this is necessary to bridge the competitiveness gap with other nations. This move balances the need for data access to foster AI innovation against concerns for individual privacy protections, a dilemma faced by governments worldwide.

• Japan’s digital minister, Hisashi Matsumoto, warns of becoming an ‘AI colony’ due to lagging AI development.
• A government bill proposes amending data protection laws to allow AI developers access to medical and criminal records without individual consent.
• The bill aims to provide Japanese AI developers with large datasets needed to train competitive models.
• Critics raise concerns about weakening individual control over highly sensitive personal information.
• The government is also piloting a generative AI platform, Gennai, for internal use to accelerate adoption.
• The ‘AI colony’ metaphor reframes data access as a matter of national autonomy versus foreign dependency. Continue reading https://thenextweb.com/news/japan-risks-becoming-an-ai-colony-its-digital-minister-warns