This June 5, the governments of Japan and the United States launched a research alliance on artificial intelligence (AI), with an investment of approximately US$1 billion.
The spokesman for the Government of Japan, Minoru Kihara, confirmed the alliance and explained that the agreement represents “a strategic investment plan for the next five years.”
Kihara indicated that the Japanese Executive opted to implement an intersectoral “AI for science”, while advancing international cooperation, with the aim of establishing itself as “world leader” and ensure Japan’s “international superiority and strategic autonomy.”
Under this alliance, joint teams of Japanese and American scientists, as well as their leading research institutions, will collaborate closely on technology by pooling some of its facilitiescomputer resources and technical knowledge.
With this alliance, Tokyo becomes the first international partner of the US President Donald Trump’s project, which represents “one of the most important scientific and technological collaborations” between both countries. as highlighted by the United States Department of Energy in a statement.
The entity added that each country will invest US$500 million over a period of five years.
“This alliance brings together two of the world’s greatest scientific powers to accelerate discoveries and achieve breakthroughs that will shape the future,” said U.S. Department of Energy Undersecretary of Science Darío Gil. who also directs the aforementioned project.
For his part, the Vice Minister of Policy Coordination of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan, Yasuyoshi Kakita, commented that AI and computing resources are “essential” for both “research excellence” as for industrial competitiveness.
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