Keiko Nagaoka, Japanese minister of education, culture, sports, science and technology has reaffirmed that it is legal to use the copyrighted work for information analysis regardless of the method, regardless of the content — basically reaffirming that copyright will not be enforced on data used in AI training, a move that could revolutionize the AI landscape. Despite the concern from creative industries – notably anime and graphic art creators – academic and business communities see an opportunity to elevate Japan to global AI prominence.
The reaffirmation potentially bears economic significance for Japan. It is estimated (though I’m not sure how) that effective AI implementation could bolster its GDP by 50% or more, a promising prospect for a nation experiencing years of low growth. Globally, this move redefines the conversation about AI regulation, demonstrating a readiness by a leading economy to leverage AI technology to compete with the West unimpeded.
From minister Nagaoka’s remarks, Japan’s stance on data reciprocity is clear: the West’s use of Japanese cultural content for AI training should be balanced by access to Western resources for Japanese AI. We’ll see how that goes.
If you want to explore the issue of AI and copyright law more deeply, please sign up for our free online course, Generative AI for Execs. It will help you frame the arguments on both sides.
Author’s note: This is not a sponsored post. I am the author of this article and it expresses my own opinions. I am not, nor is my company, receiving compensation for it.