在本页4 分钟阅读
概述
Internationally, Japan led the G7 Hiroshima AI Process, which produced a code of conduct for organizations developing advanced AI. Together they show an alternative to the EU's binding risk-based model: coordinate, guide and name problems, while relying on existing laws for harms.
深入探讨
Japan's law, the Act on the Promotion of Research and Development and Utilization of AI-Related Technologies, was enacted in May 2025. It is a framework law: it states basic principles, assigns responsibilities to the national government, local governments, research institutions, businesses and citizens, and establishes an AI Strategy Headquarters led by the Prime Minister with all cabinet ministers. The headquarters drafts an AI Basic Plan setting national policy. The government's stated aim is to make Japan the easiest country in the world to develop and use AI while addressing risks such as misuse, privacy violations and copyright problems. What the law lacks is as important as what it contains. It creates no categories of banned or high-risk AI and no financial penalties. Businesses have a duty to cooperate with government measures. The government can research AI misuse, provide guidance and advice, and publicize cases where rights are seriously harmed. Enforcement of actual harms still runs through existing laws on privacy (the Act on the Protection of Personal Information), copyright, product liability and competition. Detailed expectations sit in soft law. The AI Guidelines for Business, published in April 2024 by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, consolidated earlier guidance and describe responsibilities for developers, providers and business users, and are updated periodically. Internationally, Japan used its 2023 G7 presidency to launch the Hiroshima AI Process. In late 2023 the G7 released International Guiding Principles and an International Code of Conduct for organizations developing advanced AI systems, and later a Comprehensive Policy Framework. A common misconception is that Japan has no AI policy; it has a deliberate policy that favors coordination and voluntary commitments over prohibitions.
战略影响
风险与安全
灾难性和日常的人工智能危害都取决于谁了解风险以及谁能够采取行动。
更清晰的判决
公众和专业素养决定强有力的安全政策在政治上是否可行。
打破炒作
清晰的解释可以减少炒作、实验室公关和模糊道德剧场的影响。
The Future of Japan's AI Promotion Act and the Hiroshima AI Process
Japan's approach will be tested by how actively the AI Strategy Headquarters uses its powers of investigation and guidance, and by how detailed the AI Basic Plan becomes. If significant harms occur that existing laws handle poorly, pressure for binding rules could grow, and the government has said it will revisit its approach as technology and risks evolve. Internationally, the Hiroshima Process continues through its reporting framework and a group of supporting countries beyond the G7. Whether voluntary reporting produces meaningful comparisons between companies, rather than generic statements, is still an open question.
现实世界的实施
A Japanese manufacturer building an AI quality-inspection tool uses the government's AI Guidelines for Business to set up internal governance, such as defining who is responsible for testing and how risks are documented.
After a serious incident involving an AI service that harms users' rights, the government could investigate under the Promotion Act, request cooperation and, in serious cases, publicly disclose information about the case, even though it cannot fine the company under that law.
A large AI developer headquartered outside Japan publishes a report through the OECD reporting framework describing how it follows the Hiroshima Code of Conduct on risk evaluation and transparency.
A Japanese research lab trains a model on copyrighted text for data analysis purposes, relying on Article 30-4 of the Copyright Act, while checking that use does not unreasonably harm copyright holders' interests.
风险与防护栏
将存在风险视为科幻小说，同时能力复合。
混淆了表面产品安全与高度自治下的对准。
只给非英语和非专业观众留下低质量的资源。
实施路线图
单独的产品危害、误用和失控/失调风险。
询问哪些证据会改变您对时间表和严重性的看法。
比起营销主张，更喜欢主要来源和具体评估。
确定一条行动路径：职业、政策、资金或技能——而不仅仅是意识。
不断探索
Free newsletter
Get the daily AI briefing
Three verified AI stories every weekday morning, written in plain English. Free forever, no ads.
One email each weekday. Unsubscribe in one click. We never sell or share your address.
Test yourself
Take the Japan's AI Promotion Act and the Hiroshima AI Process quiz
Instant feedback on every answer, and a shareable certificate with a verifiable ID once you pass a course.
Support free AI education. AI Understanding is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit — no ads, no paywall, ever. Make a donation
常见问题
What is Japan's AI Promotion Act and the Hiroshima AI Process?
Japan regulates AI through a light-touch, promotion-first law passed in May 2025, backed by voluntary government guidelines for businesses rather than strict prohibitions or fines. Internationally, Japan led the G7 Hiroshima AI Process, which produced a code of conduct for organizations developing advanced AI. Together they show an alternative to the EU's binding risk-based model: coordinate, guide and name problems, while relying on existing laws for harms.
Which body does Japan's AI Promotion Act establish?
The headquarters includes all cabinet ministers and drafts the AI Basic Plan.
What enforcement tool does the government have under the Act in serious cases?
The Act has no financial penalties; the government can investigate, give guidance and publicize serious cases.
Which statement best describes the Act's treatment of high-risk AI?
The law is a framework focused on promotion and coordination, not risk classification.
Who published the AI Guidelines for Business in April 2024?
The two ministries consolidated earlier guidance into one document covering developers, providers and business users.
Which three roles do the business guidelines distinguish?
Responsibilities are set out for each actor in the AI value chain.
继续学习
相关指南
为此主题精选的更多指南