Japan digital minister has ‘AI warning’, says ‘The point of this ​change is that…’

Japan must accelerate its development of artificial intelligence (AI) or risk becoming an “AI colony” to other nations, the country’s digital minister has warned. Digital Minister Hisashi Matsumoto delivered the AI warning on Friday (June 5), emphasising the high stakes in the rapidly evolving technology landscape. According to a report by news agency Reuters, he stated his hope that “many Japanese people understand that we need to press ahead with AI development, or we’ll end up becoming an ‘AI colony’.”

Matsumoto’s stark AI warning came as he defended a government-drafted bill seeking to amend Japan’s personal data protection law. The report says that the proposed changes would allow AI developers to train their models using data like medical and criminal records without needing individuals’ consent.

Matsumoto explained, “The point of this change is that, with AI development moving so fast, Japan can't afford to fall behind.” He argued that the speed of global technological change makes the data access amendment essential for domestic AI progress.

Debate over data privacy and hacking risks

The bill has not advanced without controversy. Some opposition parties have voiced strong concerns, pointing to potential data breach risks if protections around sensitive personal information are relaxed to aid AI training.

The government’s AI push includes subsidies, targeted procurement and legal changes as the country intensifies its efforts to support domestic AI development. This strategy appears to counter a global technology race dominated by the US and China. Japan has pursued a dual approach under US-Japan security ties, and has attracted investment and technology access from Microsoft and OpenAI.

However, Matsumoto’s AI warning highlights the importance Japan places on its homegrown capacity. The government has also backed domestic players like SoftBank and Sakura Internet, as well as chipmakers, to expand domestic AI models and computing infrastructure.