Image for representative purpose: Collected.
“>Image for representative purpose: Collected.
Japan is preparing to launch a public-private artificial intelligence project worth an estimated 3 trillion yen (about $19 billion) to develop the country’s largest AI foundation model.
According to a recent report by the Japanese daily Yomiuri Shimbun, the initiative involves the creation of a new company next spring, led by SoftBank and including over ten Japanese firms. The Japanese government, through the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry, is set to provide about 1 trillion yen over five years starting in fiscal 2026 to support the venture. SoftBank plans to invest a separate 2 trillion yen in building new data centres for AI development.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star’s Google News channel. The new company, expected to employ about 100 AI engineers, will initially aim to build an AI model with 1 trillion parameters, a scale comparable to leading global models. The goal is to make this AI available to Japanese businesses and eventually develop advanced AI for use in robotics. The project will procure high-performance semiconductors from US company Nvidia to build the necessary computing platform, states the report.
The government will also subsidise the cost of collecting data for AI training and is considering using special bonds to finance the development of energy-efficient AI. The ministry has stated that relying solely on foreign AI technology poses industrial risks, framing the project as a matter of industrial competitiveness and national security.
The first data centres for the project, under construction in Hokkaido and Sakai, are scheduled to begin operations by fiscal 2026.
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