July 16, 2026
Tokyo – The government on Tuesday approved a revision to the Artificial Intelligence Basic Plan, indicating that it will significantly strengthen the country’s ability to counter cyber attacks in light of the emergence of high-performance AI systems such as Claude Mythos.
The proposed revision calls for continued review of the legal framework, with a view to creating penalties for businesses that violate people’s rights.
The initial basic plan, which serves as the guideline for AI policy, was approved by the cabinet in December, and the first revision was approved by the cabinet a little more than six months later.
The revised plan points out that “the technological and security risks posed by AI are becoming more complex and serious,” and in particular points out the risk of cyberattacks due to the misuse of AI. The plan calls for “continuously strengthening cyber countermeasure capabilities.”
The government aims to work more closely with foreign agencies and AI developers to gain early access to the latest models, which are often not widely available. We will proactively utilize high-performance AI to evaluate the vulnerabilities of government systems, and expand the functions of the government-affiliated organization “AI Safety Association,” which is responsible for evaluating the performance of AI.
The current AI law stipulates that if the rights of citizens are violated due to the misuse of AI, the government will investigate and provide guidance and advice to business operators. However, no penalties have been established for businesses that do not cooperate with such investigations.
The government added a clause to the revised bill stating, “In order to more effectively respond to risks, we will proactively and continuously review systems, including the AI Act,” opening up the possibility of tightening regulations such as introducing penalties.
