Japanese Government to Adapt ChatGPT Tech for Administrative Tasks

Tech giant Microsoft will be supplying the Japanese government with generative AI tools to help it with administrative tasks. According to Nikkei, the tools will also assist in responding to parliamentary queries for the Japanese Diet, a first in Asia.

As one might imagine, there are concerns related to confidential information. But according to the report, Microsoft has recently installed equipment with high processing power at its data centers in Tokyo and Osaka for the task. The data centers employed on the home islands were partly due to concerns related to confidential information and the desire to keep data at home.

Last week, members of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party met to finalize the agreement with Microsoft with representatives of the company present. The technology in question was developed by OpenAI. Microsoft will supply a large language model that supports human-like interaction capability. Meta is also working with the Japanese government and will be working with Microsoft on other tools to help streamline the process.

Japan’s Digital Agency will spend around two million to use the technology within the first year. During the trial, it will also provide it to other agencies. Currently, what’s being installed is likely under a trial basis as this marks one of the first uses of generative AI to help streamline government services and communications

Part of what the ChatGPT-like tech will do is provide meeting minutes, and help government officials respond faster to support governmental statistical work and other administrative tasks. Another part of this trial will see Microsoft accumulating data to help improve the accuracy of the system in Japanese. A weak point for the company for some time.

Back in April, the ruling stated the proposal to use generative AI to aid in enhancing government functions as it, “can bring immeasurable social benefits from the perspective of improving the quality and efficiency of administrative services.”

This comes sometime after Economy Minster Yasutoshi Nishimura stated that Japan was committed to laying the groundwork of becoming the world’s AI hub. So a test run to see if generative AI could take on issues related to government bureaucracy.

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