(June 17) — Japan is one of the fastest adopters of new artificial intelligence (AI) tools, which could accelerate its economy and technology sector, according to Microsoft Japan President Kan Tsusaka.
The country's digitalisation drive has gained momentum as companies have adapted to a new working-from-home regime during the coronavirus pandemic, and Tsusaka believes Japan has regained lost ground after previously lagging behind.
“The Japanese have caught up, and I think growth will continue to accelerate at this point because technology is enabling things that weren't possible before,” Tsusaka said in an interview. “There's a labor shortage, and the population is aging, but generative AI still has the power to accelerate growth.”
Microsoft executives said they are particularly interested in helping to improve the skills of women in the Japanese workforce, one of four areas of focus for the company in Japan, the first of which is investing $2.9 billion (RM13.68 billion) over the next two years to expand its AI data centers in the country.
The new funding was announced in April, sending domestic utility and industrial stocks higher on expectations of increased electricity demand. The surge in domestic energy demand has prompted Tokyo's economy, trade and industry minister to lobby local authorities about restarting the country's – and the world's – largest nuclear power plant.
Tsusaka cited cybersecurity as another key priority, saying, “You can't use AI without security. Security, security, security. And then use AI.” Microsoft is working closely with the Japanese government, both at the national and local levels, and with companies to ensure the technology is deployed responsibly and safely, Tsusaka said. Still, she sees AI as an inevitable and revolutionary new part of technology.
“When the internet came along, we were all amazed,” she says, “and now our mobile phones are an extension of our bodies. But I think generative AI is the technological revolution that will surpass all of that.”
