Nikkei ran an interview with Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Bonnie Jenkins, who disclosed that in October the Biden administration will submit to the UN a package of recommendations concerning the use of artificial intelligence for military purposes. The official said the package will be submitted to the UN General Assembly in the form of….Read more

Japan aims to shorten the time it takes for defense equipment to go from the drawing board to the battlefield with a new approach lets small batches of gear be put to use before mass production.

By MICHINORI ISHIDAIRA/ Staff Writer   Like a scene from a science fiction drama, elementary school students produced screws at specialized super-precision parts maker Katsuragawa Seira Co. in Tokyo’s Ota Ward.   But these were no ordinary screws, explained Shinichiro Nakajima, 57, CEO of space startup Dymon Co.   “You students today made lunar screws for space use,” said Nakajima. “Your productions….Read more

Negative aspects of generative artificial intelligence, such as the risk of misuse for criminal purposes and the possibility of copyright infringements, cannot be overlooked. Appropriate regulations must be implemented urgently.   The government has released a draft outline of guidelines for business operators regarding the development and use of AI technology. It will finalize the guidelines by the end of….Read more

RYOHTAROH SATOH, Nikkei staff writer   OSAKA — Panasonic Holdings plans to start selling all-solid-state batteries for small drones and factory robots by 2029, while companies like Toyota Motor race to develop technology for a safer alternative to lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles.   Tatsuo Ogawa, Panasonic Group’s chief technology officer, revealed the plans on Tuesday, explaining that the new….Read more

Tokyo, Sept. 12 (Jiji Press)–Japan has revised technical requirements for providers of the “government cloud” common information system infrastructure for central and local governments, making it easier for Japanese companies to become such providers.   On Tuesday, the Digital Agency started accepting fiscal 2023 applications to become service providers in the cloud infrastructure project, a job that has been monopolized….Read more

In fiscal 2024, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) will embark on a project to improve the performance of SPring-8, a large-scale synchrotron radiation facility located in Sayo Town, Hyogo Prefecture. In addition to increasing the brightness of the synchrotron radiation 100-fold, the project aims to raise the facility’s power consumption efficiency. Some 300 million yen….Read more

SHIN WATANABE, Nikkei staff writer   DALIAN, China — Panasonic Holdings has expanded its software development capabilities in China by scaling up staff in the city of Dalian by 40% over the last few years.   Panasonic Software Development Center Dalian has grown from about 700 people in 2020 to roughly 1,000 people in 2022, president Zhang Xue told Nikkei….Read more

TOKYO — Japan proposed guidelines on Friday for companies that use artificial intelligence, aiming to avoid excessive restrictions while ensuring safety through transparency measures such as the disclosure of training data.   The draft guidelines were outlined at a government AI strategy meeting, where it also was revealed the government would seek 164 billion yen ($1.11 billion) for AI-related spending….Read more

BY YOSHIYUKI SAGARA   If Russia were to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, would there be any health issues for Russian soldiers on the ground? When I put this question to a European researcher well-versed in the Russian military’s state of affairs, he said, “There would be no problem. Since the time of the Soviet Union, Russia has prepared for….Read more