Three-Stage Review: Risk, Legal, and Technical Aspects
Minister of Defense: "Maximizing Benefits While Minimizing Risks"
Japanese Ministry of Defense has established and announced its first guidelines related to the research and development of weapons utilizing artificial intelligence (AI), according to reports by the Asahi Shimbun and Yomiuri Shimbun on June 7.
In the guidelines announced the previous day, the Ministry of Defense stated that it will not permit the research or development of "lethal autonomous weapons systems" (LAWS), in which AI autonomously selects and engages targets without human intervention. The guidelines also specify that human responsibility must be clearly defined in the development of AI weapons.
The review process for AI-equipped weapons research and development will proceed in three stages. First, AI weapons are categorized as either "high-risk" or "low-risk." High-risk weapons are those in which AI can identify and immediately attack a target, while low-risk weapons are those in which human judgment is involved in the attack process. If a weapon is classified as high-risk, a legal review will be conducted to determine whether it complies with international and domestic laws, and whether it could be considered a LAWS. If it is determined to be a LAWS, research and development will not be permitted. Finally, a technical review will be conducted to assess human control over the AI weapon and its safety.
Minister of Defense Kentarou Nakatani stated regarding the guidelines, "They are designed to maximize the benefits of utilizing artificial intelligence while minimizing the associated risks."
The Asahi Shimbun explained, "There are international discussions on how to regulate the development of AI weapons due to concerns about the possibility of erroneous judgments," and added, "These guidelines provide a standard for managing AI-related risks and also reflect an intention to promote the use of AI in weapons development within Japan."
In addition, various discussions related to AI are taking place in Japan.
The Japan Fair Trade Commission, in a report on generative AI released the previous day, pointed out that if global information technology (IT) companies incorporate their own generative AI into mobile phones or software, it could make it difficult for latecomers to develop generative AI, raising the possibility of violating antitrust laws.
The Fair Trade Commission stated that while the incorporation of proprietary generative AI into existing IT services is not immediately problematic as a form of technological innovation, it could be subject to legal issues if it is intended to block market entry by competitors.
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