Japan Govt Strategy to Feature Training in AI Field

June 4, 2018

Tokyo- The Japanese government's upcoming integrated innovation strategy will feature human resources training in the field of artificial intelligence, it was learned Sunday.

According to an outline of the strategy, to be adopted at a cabinet meeting in mid-June, the government will aim to increase the number of young researchers in the AI field dramatically.

The government currently has different strategies in information technology, health and medicine, and other areas. The government will integrate them in a bid to foster cross-sectoral efforts.

Japan is forecast to face a shortage of about 50,000 researchers with advanced knowledge of AI, big data and other important technologies in 2020, according to estimates by the Cabinet Office.

The integrated strategy will call for accelerating human resources development to boost the number of such researchers annually by tens of thousands in 2025.

Under the strategy, the government will also take measures to nurture the next generation of researchers, focusing on people under 40. The measures would include those to facilitate the introduction of merit-based pay systems and ample research fund allocation in priority fields.

Another planned item in the strategy is the unification of various data formats and standards in agriculture, health and medicine, disaster reduction and other areas by 2020 to make it easier for companies and research institutions to use big data. Jiji Press