Half of Japan’s municipalities adopt or plan generative AI use

Generative AI now shaping Japan’s public administration workflows

Japan, municipalities, Generative AI

Nearly 30% of local governments in Japan had introduced generative AI into their operations by December 2023, according to a government survey.

When including those planning or seriously considering its use, that figure rises to 50.8%, marking a 10-point increase from the previous year.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications surveyed 1,721 municipalities. Common use cases included drafting speeches and summarising meeting minutes. However, 21.5% of municipalities said they had no plans to use the technology.

Concerns remain over the lack of usage guidelines, with around 1,000 municipalities still developing policies. Experts warn of risks like biased outputs and mismanagement.

The ministry of Japan plans to issue a report this summer to help shape best practices for generative AI use in local governance.

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