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Japan’s new era of education and artificial intelligence
Preparing for the future of algorithms, big data, and sensors
I will be teaching in Japan next week. It’s always an amazing trip. I learn a lot from teaching in other parts of the world and this year is particularly exciting to visit, as Japan recently announced the name of the new Imperial era. Reiwa was the chosen name.
Although the experts on Japanese language and culture have difficulties to agree on the exact meaning of Reiwa, the Japanese government translated the name as “beautiful harmony” last week. It follows the Showa (1926–1989) and Heisei (1989–2019) periods. Japan’s industrial policies and growth characterized these two eras.
The Reiwa era will start on May 1, 2019. And the question is whether it will consolidate/restore Japan’s reputation as a technology pioneer in the fields of robotics, automation, and artificial intelligence.
I go to Japan several times a year to teach and speak at conferences. And I have always been impressed by the technological developments. I have witnessed first-hand the automation of production processes and the deployment of robots at airports and in stores.
But the last couple of years have been disappointing. Things don’t seem to be moving as quickly and the people I talk to are less optimistic about the pace and direction of technological change.
So, it was fascinating to come across two stories last week about emerging technologies in Japan.
The first story was that a group of experts presented ideas on promoting artificial intelligence in education on March 28.
The group argued that it is necessary to have all of the approximately 500,000 university and technical college students follow beginner-level programs on data science and AI. Half of them should be encouraged to acquire skills to apply AI solutions to their fields of study, such as healthcare, agriculture, and transportation.
The second noteworthy story was Toyota’s decision to open up their intellectual property portfolio in the field of hybrid and electric vehicle technology, indicating that Japan’s companies see the need for opening up and collaboration in the current digital…
