Japan to establish AI council to drive national AI adoption
A newly proposed council will oversee efforts to expand AI use and advance digital transformation across the country.
Japan’s government has approved plans to establish a new council to accelerate AI adoption and review the legal frameworks governing its development and use. The initiative forms part of the country’s 2026 policy guidelines and reflects growing efforts to integrate AI into key sectors of the economy.
The new body will replace a digital administrative and fiscal reform council established under former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Authorities said it will lead to what they describe as an ‘AI transformation’, a broad effort to reshape public services, business processes and working practices through AI.
Japan sees AI as an important tool for addressing the challenges of an ageing population and a shrinking workforce. Priority areas include healthcare, elderly care, transportation, infrastructure, workplace productivity and public administration, alongside broader digitalisation measures such as expanding the use of electronic medical records.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said AI and digital technologies should reduce burdens on citizens and businesses while improving public services. The government said it intends to accelerate digital transformation as part of its broader programme of economic and administrative reform.
Why does it matter?
Japan’s decision reflects how governments are increasingly embedding AI into long-term economic and public-sector strategies rather than treating it as a standalone technology initiative. For countries facing ageing populations and labour shortages, AI is becoming a key policy tool for sustaining productivity, modernising public services and addressing workforce constraints.
The new council also illustrates the growing convergence of AI policy and regulatory reform. By reviewing legal frameworks alongside promoting adoption, Japan is seeking to ensure that governance evolves in step with technological deployment, balancing innovation with public trust and accountability.
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