Tag - ai

 
Menu
Search
 
July 01, 2026
 

Today's print edition

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access

AI

The 18-year-old daughter of former Yomiuri Giants manager Shinnosuke Abe said she consulted ChatGPT before reporting an alleged altercation with her father to a child guidance center.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 27, 2026
Former Giants manager’s daughter consulted ChatGPT before reporting altercation
Shinnosuke Abe resigned from his position Tuesday following his arrest on suspicion of physically assaulting his daughter.
People protest in San Francisco, California, calling for a pause in AI development, on March 21. In the U.K., the IMF estimated in 2024 that more than two-thirds of British workers perform tasks that AI could potentially carry out.
BUSINESS / Tech
May 27, 2026
‘My job is going’: U.K. workers squeezed out by AI
In the U.K., where services account for around 80% of the economy, AI has become flexible, fast and inexpensive competition for many white-collar workers.
Ajinomoto, known more as a seasonings and foods maker, holds more than 95% of global market share for insulating materials used in personal computers and data center servers.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 27, 2026
Wall Street’s AI winner hunt leads to seasoning maker in Japan
The beneficiaries of the artificial intelligence buildout are spreading far beyond technology high-flyers.
Chris Inglis, who served as the first U.S. national cyber director in 2021-23, speaks during an interview on Tuesday in Tokyo.
BUSINESS / Tech
May 27, 2026
Former U.S. cybersecurity chief urges IT reform in Japan
Systems that have been deployed in Japan for 20-30 years have “many weaknesses,” says Chris Inglis, the first U.S. national cyber director.
People visit an Alibaba booth during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on July 26, 2025.
BUSINESS / Tech
May 27, 2026
China expands travel curbs to top AI talent at private firms
Government agencies have begun imposing restrictions on individuals involved in advanced AI work and considered strategically important to the country.
The House of Representatives passes a bill to revise the personal information protection law with support from the ruling bloc and the Democratic Party for the People on Tuesday at parliament.
JAPAN / Politics
May 26, 2026
Lower House approves bill to revise personal information protection law
The bill includes a provision requiring businesses that repeatedly commit violations to pay fines equivalent to the earned profit to state coffers.
The BLR MK2 unmanned armored vehicle is displayed at the Eurosatory defense and security trade fair near in Paris in June 2022.
COMMENTARY / World
May 26, 2026
When war moves at machine speed, politics must not fall behind
Drones, electronic warfare, satellite imagery, battlefield software and rapid technological adaptation have become part of the daily reality of war in Ukraine.
A popular voice actor has sued TikTok’s operator over videos allegedly using an AI-generated imitation of his voice without permission.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 26, 2026
Actor files lawsuit against TikTok operator over AI-generated voice use
The lawsuit, filed with the Tokyo District Court by Kenjiro Tsuda last November, is believed to be the first of its kind in Japan.
This photo handed out on May 25 shows Pope Leo XIV signing his first encyclical letter.
WORLD
May 26, 2026
Pope says AI should be ‘disarmed’ to avoid dominating humanity
Pope Leo XIV said artificial intelligence should be “disarmed” to protect humanity from its dangers, adding his voice to a heated debate over the extent to which governments should regulate a technology that is reshaping the world.
The Tokyo District Court on Monday found two former executives of artificial intelligence developer Alt guilty of window dressing in violation of the financial instruments and exchange law.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 26, 2026
Former execs of AI developer Alt found guilty of window dressing
Katsuya Asai, 46, and Takayuki Ariizumi, 53, were given suspended prison sentences, and the Tokyo-based company was fined ¥300 million.
Fujikura’s roller-coaster week reveals how quickly the tides can turn for artificial intelligence stock winners as investors realize hopes for explosive growth may have run far ahead of manufacturers’ ability to deliver.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 26, 2026
Japan cable maker rout exposes cracks in AI infrastructure rally
Fujikura almost halved in value in the week through May 20 as investors rushed to dump its stock following a disappointing earnings forecast and lackluster medium-term plan.
A Kirin 9000s chip fabricated in China by Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp., taken from a Huawei Mate X5 foldable smartphone in 2023.
BUSINESS / Tech
May 25, 2026
China’s Huawei reveals chip design breakthrough amid U.S. sanctions
China is seen as unlikely to reach Huawei’s target through conventional manufacturing alone because of restricted access to advanced lithography tools and other technologies.
A Huawei booth during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai last year
BUSINESS / Tech
May 25, 2026
Huawei’s ‘chip queen’ etches her name in China’s tech folklore
He Tingbo’s career has tracked Huawei’s rise, its struggle following U.S. sanctions, and then a rebirth as the ​core ​driver of China’s mission to become a high-tech juggernaut.
Countries including Japan see the ability to control chips, data centers and AI models as directly related to national resilience in a landscape dominated by U.S. and Chinese technology.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 25, 2026
Sakura Internet eyes more spending to meet AI data center demand
The data center operator is eyeing an allocation of as much as ¥20 billion to ¥30 billion ($125 million to $190 million) this fiscal year, founder and CEO Kunihiro Tanaka has said.
Combined net profits at Japanese listed companies in fiscal 2025 rose 9.0% from the previous year to a record, according to SMBC Nikko Securities.
BUSINESS
May 24, 2026
Japanese listed firms log record net profits in 2025
The figure for the year ended in March hit a record high for the fifth consecutive year, thanks to rosy earnings of semiconductor- and data center-related companies.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi attends a meeting of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy on Friday at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo.
BUSINESS
May 23, 2026
Takaichi considering new quota for growth investment
The plan would cover 17 growth areas, including artificial intelligence and semiconductors, to support long-term corporate investments.
An intelligence bot at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi in February
BUSINESS / Tech / FOCUS
May 22, 2026
The AI bots are coming, and the young are booing instead of applauding
Perhaps the clearest sign of discomfort with the vision of the world offered by tech companies is the rising discontent among America’s youth.
Japan's trade balance in April was a ¥301.9 billion ($1.9 billion) surplus on an unadjusted basis, according to the Finance Ministry, remaining in the black unexpectedly on strong exports and a sharp drop in energy imports.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 21, 2026
Japan’s trade surplus remained in the black in April as energy imports plunged
Exports remained robust, with chip exports rising 44% amid strong demand for artificial intelligence-related products.
A SpaceX Super Heavy booster carrying the Starship spacecraft lifts off on its 11th test flight at the company's launch pad in Starbase, Texas, on Oct.13, 2025.
BUSINESS / Tech
May 21, 2026
SpaceX IPO filing lays bare losses and Musk control as it stakes future on AI
Much of its outlook relies on SpaceX dominating technologies and markets that do not yet exist — from Mars missions to AI data centers in space.
The Metropolitan Police Department discovered the lower half of a human body on Tuesday, approximately 100 meters off a hiking trail in Nippara, in the town of Okutama, located on the outskirts of western Tokyo.
JAPAN
May 20, 2026
Possible fatal bear attack reported in mountains of western Tokyo
If confirmed, the incident in the mountains of Okutama would mark Tokyo’s first recorded fatal bear attack since at least 2006.
Uruguay federation reportedly cancels charter flight after World Cup exit
Uruguay's Jose Maria Gimenez reacts after the team's loss against Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
India’s gig workers pay the price for exposure to New Delhi’s hazardous air
Rohit Kushwaha waits for a customer as he delivers his last parcel of the day, in New Delhi in January. His work as a delivery driver has helped pay the family’s bills, but has had a significant impact on his health.
Life inside Japan’s largest prison for women
Western-style rooms spanning the size of four tatami mats with hardwood floors, a toilet and soft mattresses on bed frames are designated for foreign nationals and those with health conditions at Tochigi Prison.
Yen hits 40-year low against the dollar, breaking ¥162 level
Japan's currency broke ¥162 to the dollar on Tuesday in Tokyo.
Japan’s fertility system offers few safe paths for same-sex couples
A Tokyo Pride parade participant holds a sign that says "we want to be a married couple, not a couple."
Life inside Japan’s largest prison for women
Western-style rooms spanning the size of four tatami mats with hardwood floors, a toilet and soft mattresses on bed frames are designated for foreign nationals and those with health conditions at Tochigi Prison.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
A French ship with close ties to Japan combines arts and sciences on the high seas
Romain Troublé, the executive director of Tara Ocean Foundation, speaks to visitors aboard the Tara during a rare port call in Tokyo in April.
In Kyushu’s far south, Senti.U sparks a culinary destination
Chef Yasuhiko Uchida was born in Saga Prefecture but has made his home in Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture, since 2012.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Digital marketer Netyear zeros in on generative AI
Digital marketer Netyear zeros in on generative AI

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER