Kishida meets ChatGPT firm boss as Japan gov’t studies using AI

Tokyo, Apr 10 (EFE).- Japan’s prime minister met Monday with the head of OpenAI, the firm behind the popular artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT, to address regulatory issues related to the technology and its possible adoption for public administration tasks.

In his Tokyo office, Fumio Kishida received Sam Altman, CEO and co-founder of OpenAI, who told local reporters after the meeting that they discussed “the advantages of AI technology and how to reduce its disadvantages.”

Altman reportedly also communicated to Kishida the advantages that its use could have for Japan, and raised the possibility that San Francisco-based OpenAI, which has Microsoft among its main investors, open an office in the country.

When asked Monday at a press conference about the government’s position on data protection concerns around ChatGPT, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno stressed that although the “Italian government has put a temporary ban on the use of ChatGPT due to information protection,” Japan also considers that the technology has “benefits and advantages.”

The spokesman added that Tokyo is to study the possibility of using it for administrative tasks to “alleviate the burden of government employees,” and monitor the technology with necessary measures taken to prevent the leak of secret information and personal data.

Altman is also scheduled to meet Monday in Tokyo with a group of lawmakers from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to discuss legislative issues and the feasibility of using the latest version of Chat GPT in public administration.

Other potential issues to be discussed at the meetings are the G7 discussions on the risks of artificial intelligence, as Japan holds the rotating presidency and will host a summit of its leaders in late next month in Hiroshima. EFE

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