'Father of ChatGPT' who met Japanese Prime Minister Kishida... "Considering expanding Japanese service and office"

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT that sparked the global generative artificial intelligence (AI) craze, met with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo, Japan on the 10th and announced that they are considering expanding Japanese language services and opening an office in Japan.

According to Bloomberg and other sources, Prime Minister Kishida and CEO Altman met at the Prime Minister's Official Residence in Tokyo on the same day to discuss ChatGPT and AI. CEO Altman stated that he had a conversation with Prime Minister Kishida about enhancing the potential of AI technology while also addressing how to mitigate its drawbacks. They discussed ways to manage AI-related risks effectively and enable humans to use AI positively.

Sam Altman OpenAI CEO
Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

After the meeting, CEO Altman told reporters that OpenAI is considering opening an office in Japan and expanding Japanese language services. He said, "I hope Japanese people spend more time with (ChatGPT), work with great talents, and create something good," adding, "It is really interesting to see how this technology is utilized in Japan." He also mentioned efforts to develop models suitable for the Japanese language and culture.

Foreign media have not specifically reported on how CEO Altman’s visit to Japan was arranged.

Originally, CEO Altman announced on his Twitter on the 30th of last month that he would conduct an 'OpenAI Tour' during May and June. The tour destinations he revealed on Twitter included 17 cities in 17 countries: Toronto (Canada), Washington DC (USA), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Lagos (Nigeria), Madrid (Spain), Brussels (Belgium), Munich (Germany), London (UK), Paris (France), Tel Aviv (Israel), Dubai (United Arab Emirates), New Delhi (India), Singapore, Jakarta (Indonesia), Seoul (South Korea), Tokyo (Japan), and Melbourne (Australia).

CEO Altman introduced that through the tour, he plans to meet and engage in conversations with AI users, developers, and policymakers in major countries around the world. Although he did not specify the purpose of the tour, mentioning policymakers amid growing concerns from governments about AI chatbots including ChatGPT led to speculation that discussions on AI regulation issues would take place.

CEO Altman’s visit to Japan comes at a time when Italy temporarily blocked access to the service on the 31st of last month due to personal data protection regulations. Not only Italy, but also the UK, Germany, France, and Canada have announced investigations citing concerns over personal data violations related to ChatGPT.

Reflecting these concerns, before the meeting between Prime Minister Kishida and CEO Altman, Hirokazu Matsuno, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary, said at a press conference that "Technological innovations surrounding AI today, including ChatGPT, have various benefits but also present new challenges." He added, "The government, together with relevant ministries, will monitor trends related to AI and review responses to concerns about handling confidential information and information leaks." He further stated, "Once concerns are resolved, we will consider the potential use of AI to reduce the government’s workload."