Source: The Asahi Shimbun

The Asahi Shimbun reports that the Japanese government will establish a new organization, the AI Safety Institute, in October to specifically address the risks associated with advanced artificial intelligence. This move aligns Japan with other major nations, like the U.S. and the UK, that have recently created similar bodies to ensure the safe development and deployment of AI technologies. The new institute will be responsible for developing safety standards and evaluation methods for AI systems.

The institute will operate under the jurisdiction of the information technology ministry and will be staffed by a team of experts from both the public and private sectors. Its primary mandate will be to research the potential dangers of AI, such as the spread of disinformation and the development of autonomous weapons, and to create objective criteria for assessing the safety of models developed by tech companies. The creation of the AI Safety Institute is a cornerstone of Japan's broader strategy to foster AI innovation while simultaneously building a governance framework that promotes public trust and mitigates potential harm.