Japan to Launch AI-Linked Reform Promotion Council

Tokyo, July 7 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government decided Tuesday to establish a new council to drastically overhaul legal frameworks governing the development and use of artificial intelligence. The plan was included in the government’s 2026 basic policy guidelines adopted at a meeting of the digital administrative and fiscal reform council, held at the prime minister’s office in Tokyo. This council, launched under the administration of former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, will be reorganized into the new body. The guidelines stressed the urgency of advancing so-called AI transformation, or a fundamental review of work using AI, to cope with population decline. Naming medical and elderly care, transportation and infrastructure, working environments, and administrative services and procedures as priority areas for digital reform, the guidelines said the government will promote digital transformation initiatives, including the expanded use of electronic medical records. “It’s important to make maximum use of AI and digital technologies to free up time for people and businesses while supporting them from the perspective of consumers,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said at the meeting. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]