In a recent event in Tokyo, Japan, the spotlight was on the future of artificial intelligence (AI) within the nation. Kuniyoshi Suzuki from SoftBank Corp. made a significant statement regarding Japan’s AI trajectory, suggesting that the demand for AI computing power in Japan is projected to surge by an extraordinary factor of 320 by the year 2030. This forecast underscores the importance of establishing a strong foundation of domestic technologies to support this anticipated growth, especially as AI becomes more deeply integrated into various sectors across the country.
### The Global Initiative: NVIDIA AI Days
NVIDIA AI Days, a series of events held across the globe, aims to bring together AI enthusiasts, developers, researchers, and startups to discuss the latest advancements in AI technology. The recent Tokyo event attracted over 900 attendees who gathered to explore a range of topics, including sovereign AI, agentic AI, physical AI, quantum computing, and AI factories. These discussions are crucial as they provide a platform for exchanging ideas and innovations that push the boundaries of what AI can achieve.
In addition to the keynote from Kuniyoshi Suzuki, the event featured presentations from NVIDIA Cloud Partners like SoftBank, GMO Internet, and KDDI. These companies are leading the charge in developing AI factories and supporting the creation of AI models and services. They showcased their latest advancements, highlighting how they are enabling developers to build robust AI solutions.
### The Importance of Sovereign AI
The term “sovereign AI” refers to AI systems that are developed and deployed within a specific country, leveraging domestic resources and expertise. This concept is particularly important for nations like Japan, which is focusing on building a self-sufficient AI infrastructure. By investing in sovereign AI, Japan aims to ensure that its AI technologies are transparent, safe, and tailored to meet the unique needs of its industries and society.
The Japanese government recognizes the strategic importance of AI and has set ambitious goals to foster its growth. Last year, the government announced a plan to invest at least 10 trillion yen, approximately $65 billion, by 2030. This investment is aimed at boosting the semiconductor and AI industries, which are pivotal for Japan’s digital transformation.
### Industry-Specific AI Applications
AI’s potential to revolutionize industries is immense, and Japan is keen on harnessing this potential to drive its digital transformation. Specialized AI applications are being developed for industries such as manufacturing, finance, and healthcare. These applications are expected to enhance productivity, address skill gaps, and mitigate labor shortages.
A notable example is NEC’s cotomi, a large language model (LLM) designed to facilitate knowledge transfer among professionals and manage complex enterprise documents. Such tools are essential for overcoming the challenges posed by Japan’s aging workforce and declining population.
Another initiative, GENIAC, aims to bolster Japan’s generative AI capabilities. By providing companies with the necessary computing resources and fostering collaboration, GENIAC supports the development of foundation models, including LLMs tailored to the Japanese language and industry needs.
### Key Players in Japan’s AI Landscape
Several key players are driving AI trends in Japan. The NVIDIA Developer Program boasts 281,000 Japan-based members, while the NVIDIA Inception program supports 400 startups in the country. Additionally, six major cloud leaders operate NVIDIA-powered AI factories in Japan, and there are 29,000 enrollments in the NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute, highlighting the country’s commitment to AI education and innovation.
NVIDIA partners in Japan are playing a crucial role in advancing the country’s position in the AI revolution. For instance, Stockmark has developed a 100-billion-parameter Japanese LLM, which significantly speeds up inference processes. FastLabel has introduced a data curation solution for autonomous driving, while Hakuhodo Technologies is leveraging NVIDIA AI Blueprints to create AI agents for advertising.
Shimizu Corporation, a prominent contractor, is utilizing NVIDIA’s video search and summarization tools to monitor construction site progress. These examples illustrate the diverse applications of AI across different sectors in Japan.
### Empowering AI Development
NVIDIA’s initiatives, such as the Nemotron-Personas-Japan dataset, are designed to empower AI development in Japan. This open synthetic dataset aligns with Japan’s demographic, geographic, and cultural distributions, providing a privacy-preserving foundation for sovereign AI systems. By ensuring that AI systems reflect Japanese society without relying on sensitive personal data, this dataset supports the development of culturally relevant AI solutions.
At the event, Bartley Richardson from NVIDIA emphasized the importance of agentic AI, which refers to AI systems capable of planning, reasoning, and collaborating. He highlighted how Japanese developers are creating flexible and powerful agentic systems that align with the country’s pursuit of technological excellence and operational precision.
### Fostering Innovation in Healthcare and Beyond
The event also featured a “Japan Healthcare Day,” which offered insights into NVIDIA’s healthcare technologies. Sessions covered the use of the MONAI framework, NVIDIA Holoscan, and NVIDIA Isaac for Healthcare platforms, all of which are accelerating the development of medical devices and digital health tools.
Training workshops from the NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute focused on building AI agents with retrieval-augmented generation capabilities and introduced the NVIDIA Cosmos world foundation model platform for physical AI. These sessions provided valuable learning opportunities for developers and researchers looking to leverage AI in innovative ways.
### The Road Ahead for AI in Japan
Japan’s strength in engineering and mechatronics positions it well to lead a new era of AI-driven innovation. The country’s focus on developing digital agents capable of executing complex tasks alongside physical AI systems is paving the way for the next phase of technological advancement.
Physical AI, which enables autonomous systems like cameras, robots, and self-driving cars to perceive and interact with the real world, was a key topic at the event. Technologies such as NVIDIA Omniverse for digital twins and NVIDIA Isaac GR00T for humanoid robotics development were highlighted as essential components of this emerging field.
Looking ahead, the next NVIDIA AI Day will be held in Sydney, Australia, on October 15-16. This event will provide a platform for attendees to learn about the latest AI breakthroughs, connect with peers and experts, and contribute to the ongoing wave of innovation.
For those interested in exploring more about AI advancements, the NVIDIA AI Days series offers valuable insights into the cutting-edge technologies shaping the future of AI around the world.
In conclusion, Japan’s commitment to AI development is evident in its strategic investments and initiatives aimed at fostering innovation across various sectors. As the demand for AI computing power continues to grow, the country is well-positioned to harness the potential of AI to drive its digital transformation and maintain its competitive edge on the global stage.
For more Information, Refer to this article.
