Japan has announced an ambitious initiative to develop its own artificial intelligence model and intends to deploy 10 million AI-driven robots across 18 industries by 2040, as part of a larger effort to enhance domestic AI skills and lessen reliance on foreign technologies.
The AI model in question will be created by Noetra, a group that comprises SoftBank and Sony. Media reports suggest that the Japanese government may allocate as much as 1 trillion yen (approximately $6.1 billion) in the next five years, with financing linked to the project's development.
The initiative arises as multiple nations seek autonomous AI systems to decrease dependence on technologies created in the United States and China.
The Nikkei business daily announced that Noetra's group of investors is projected to grow to 44 companies, uniting firms from the automotive, electronics, manufacturing, finance, and logistics sectors.
A key emphasis of the project will be physical AI, allowing artificial intelligence to function in real-world settings rather than solely through software. Examples of these applications are autonomous vehicles, factory robots, and robotic assistants. Nevertheless, the extensive use of AI robots in daily environments is still restricted, even with increasing funding.
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Japan unveiled a revised strategy for AI robotics. Industry Minister Ryosei Akazawa stated that Japan plans to implement approximately 10 million robots by 2040 while increasing usage in restaurants, food production, and healthcare, raising the total number of target sectors to 18.
Akazawa informed journalists that Japan intends to develop data infrastructure for physical AI and robotics by utilizing the nation's current capabilities in these areas.
The government anticipates that robots equipped with AI will assist in tackling workforce shortages resulting from Japan's aging and decreasing populace.
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The declaration comes after Japan's 14-year growth plan revealed last month, aiming for 370 trillion yen (approximately $2.3 trillion) in total public and private investment across 17 key sectors, such as physical AI, semiconductors, quantum technology, and nuclear fusion.
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The action follows an announcement from neighboring South Korea regarding unprecedented public-private investments totaling hundreds of billions of dollars in AI data centers and semiconductor production in the upcoming years.