Osaka, Japan’s second-largest metropolis, has begun testing autonomous AI brokers in its native authorities to assist alleviate the nation’s declining workforce.
Osaka Prefecture has launched a public-private consortium to experiment with AI brokers that present administrative assist and multilingual providers.
The prefecture will convey collectively experience from a consortium together with Google Cloud Japan, telecommunications supplier NTT West, Microsoft Japan, and Osaka Metropolitan College. This check assesses whether or not AI can precisely and independently streamline administrative processes primarily based on predefined guidelines.
Osaka Prefecture Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura mentioned the initiative was aimed toward making a “extra handy and affluent society.” In Silicon Valley, AI brokers are a expertise that must be scaled, however in Japan, the principle concern is minimizing disruption by means of standardization.
Japan’s AI agent growth
The brand new consortium in Osaka Prefecture follows various giant family companies which have begun deploying AI brokers. Itochu Company, considered one of Japan’s largest meals and beverage producers, and carmaker Mazda are testing AI brokers in automated funds, inside audits, and customer support.
Japanese software program testing agency SHIFT and knowledge analytics agency TDSE are additionally exploring cost ecosystems that leverage autonomous AI brokers. In accordance with TDSE, the proof of idea goals to provoke trades, validate necessities, and work with different methods to execute funds with out direct human intervention.
In reality, a latest business survey discovered that 35% of Japanese corporations have already deployed some type of AI agent, and 44% plan to take action.
Japanese corporations’ ambitions to develop AI brokers are largely reactionary and “defensive” measures. This represents financial acceptance of autonomous AI as a productiveness software amid labor shortages, rural depopulation, and declining tolerance for foreigners.
A hotbed of innovation? Assume once more.
Japan is just not attempting to win the race for the biggest AI agent mannequin. We’re taking a slower, extra deliberate, and extra risk-averse path. Tokyo-based accounting software program supplier Lacus is not satisfied that AI can do every little thing.
Chatbots have emerged as the newest gross sales and buyer interplay software in Large Tech and FinTech. Nonetheless, the present capabilities of backend chatbots don’t make life simpler, in line with Shinichiro Motomatsu, the corporate’s director and chief AI officer.
“Should you attempt to deal with expense reimbursement solely by means of chatbot workflows, it is most likely going to be a hellish expertise,” says Motomatsu.
Their important concern is implementing a system that will increase the operational burden on a crew that’s already at capability.
grey space of duty
Japan desires to securely deploy AI brokers inside actual organizations. We deal with minimizing errors to take care of belief.
Japan’s method is just not a failure of creativeness, however a deliberate response to how organizations truly work, in line with Lux’s head of AI.
“At every stage, you have to consider whether or not the expertise is absolutely serving to customers. If it isn’t, you shouldn’t hesitate to withdraw,” Motomatsu mentioned.
Motomatsu mentioned AI brokers must be handled as goal-driven instruments slightly than stand-alone technical targets.
He believes it’s way more lifelike for AI brokers to perform as partially autonomous actors, as accountability is a giant grey space.
“If one thing goes flawed, you may’t merely clarify that AI made the choice,” Motomatsu says. “Somebody inside the group must be held accountable for the outcomes.”
Human-centered AI agent
Lux’s chief AI officer emphasizes that AI doesn’t eradicate the necessity for well-designed workflows and checks and balances. He argues that the true worth of organizations lies in supporting, slightly than changing, the constructions that make them work.
“AI brokers are usually not magic; they don’t eradicate the necessity for guidelines, processes, and human judgment,” Motomatsu says.
Osaka Prefecture’s push to introduce AI brokers displays the governance-first method that’s ingrained throughout Japanese corporations. The plan is to formulate sensible pointers that may be imitated by native governments throughout the nation by the tip of fiscal 2026.
The prefecture goals to create a framework that outlines clear guidelines for what AI brokers can do, how their actions will likely be monitored, and when human intervention is required.
There are additionally advantages past effectivity. Atsushi Yoshida, Chief AI Transformation Officer at Hitachi, Ltd., means that AI brokers can take over repetitive duties and make approach for the cognitive area.
“Simply because AI permits us to do extra work at a quicker tempo would not essentially equate to progress,” he says. “What issues is how individuals use the empty area.”
He describes this as a “white area” and argues that it may be a supply of innovation, reflection, and decision-making.
Fairly than introducing technological developments, Japan is designing AI brokers to handle company issues. In a enterprise tradition that historically prioritizes management and standardization, corporations are cautious of methods that obscure human judgment in mission-critical processes.
