Japan Is Embracing ChatGPT With ‘Open’ Arms

According to reports, Yokosuka city in Japan’s Kanagawa has become the first city to use ChatGPT for administrative purposes. About 4,000 employees of the city’s municipal government office initiated a month-long trial in efforts to improve operations.

As part of the trial, local government officials will use LoGoChat, a chat tool already introduced for local governments, to enter questions or instructions. This chat tool is connected to ChatGPT. “With the population decreasing, the number of employees is limited. However, there are many administrative challenges,” said Takayuki Samukawa, a representative for Yokosuka’s digital management department.

“So we aim to use useful ICT tools, like ChatGPT, to free up human resources for things that can only be done in a person-to-person format.”

Yokosuka’s Mayor Katsuaki Kamiji also commented saying that "It (ChatGPT) is one of the tools we can use as we think about what a municipal government can do to help residents lead happier lives."

OpenAI’s East Connection

The move comes after OpenAI CEO Sam Altman visited Japan to meet with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and announced plans to open an office in the country. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, had then stated that the government would prioritise addressing security concerns before implementing AI to reduce the workload of national public servants. 

Additionally, Digital Minister Taro Kono expressed his interest in using AI for government administrative tasks. "We want to use various kinds of AI to promote reforms in work practices" at central government offices and agencies, the minister had said.

The ministries and agencies of the central government are contemplating using the chatbot for various tasks like—assisting in formulating answers to questions posed by lawmakers during parliamentary sessions. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is considering a test run of ChatGPT, which could take place sometime later this month.

As stated by Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan, Hirokazu Matsuno in a parliamentary committee meeting, the Japanese government has no intention to regulate ChatGPT. Despite growing concerns about ChatGPT, economic security minister Sanae Takaichi and other officials also believe that regulating ChatGPT is unnecessary, although measures to protect personal data must be implemented. The government is contemplating using ChatGPT to streamline administrative work, including generating responses to parliamentary questions.

However, some politicians, like Kenta Izumi, the leader of the main opposition party, believe that rules on the use of ChatGPT are necessary. Communications minister Takeaki Matsumoto will discuss promoting the use of AI and measures against its misuse with other countries at the upcoming G7 meeting.

Similarly amid an ongoing debate in the AI community, the Indian government also stoked controversy by going against the tide. The Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) In a written reply in the Lok Sabha said, “The government is not considering bringing a law or regulating the growth of artificial intelligence in the country.” The Indian government sees AI as a ‘kinetic enabler’ and wants to harness its potential for better governance.

On the other hand OpenAI’s ChatGPT is facing stiff regulatory scrutiny in Europe. It was hit with a temporary ban in Italy last month on the grounds that the chatbot is not compliant with EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, which guarantees the ‘The right to be forgotten’. Germany’s data protection commissioner also recently warned that ChatGPT may face a potential ban in Germany, due to data security concerns.