Japan's AI Struggle: Lagging Behind in the Ongoing Revolution
In the current AI revolution, Japan, a major world economy, is conspicuously quiet. Notable AI models from Japan are scarce, and even application-layer models are rare. Renowned Japanese AI models like Open Calm and Rinna perform worse than OpenAI's outdated GPT-3.5 model in evaluations. Moreover, Japan doesn't seem to have any famous AI companies, be it giants or exceptional start-ups. This clearly indicates that Japan is lagging significantly in this AI revolution. This is a stark reminder of the high cost Japan paid for betting on a single technology direction with vertical industry policies, just before the "deep learning revolution".
Key Takeaways
- Japan's early start and deep accumulation in neural network research did not translate to success in the "deep learning revolution."
- Japan's vertical industry policy approach, focusing on a single technology direction, turned out to be a high-stakes gamble with significant costs upon failure.
- Japan's AI presence in the ongoing AI revolution is minimal, with few AI models or notable AI companies compared to other global economies.
- Japan's top AI models, such as Open Calm and Rinna, underperform compared to older GPT-3.5 models from OpenAI.
- Japan lacks renowned AI enterprises, with no dominant giants or exceptionally successful startups, indicating their absence in the AI revolution's forefront.
Analysis
Japan's minimal AI presence indicates a significant lag in the ongoing AI revolution, with underperforming models and scarce AI companies. This is a stark contrast to its early lead in neural network research. The country's vertical industry policy approach, focusing on a single technology direction, may have led to this predicament, echoing the high costs paid for a similar gamble before the deep learning revolution. Consequences include potential loss of competitiveness in tech-driven industries and decreased global influence. Japan's AI giants and startups might face challenges catching up with global counterparts, while foreign AI firms could exploit the gap, further eroding Japan's market share. In the long term, Japan must learn from past mistakes and diversify its technology focus. Encouraging innovation across various AI fields and collaborating with international partners could be crucial for future development and regaining lost ground.
Did You Know?
- Deep learning revolution: Deep learning is a subset of machine learning that uses artificial neural networks with many layers (hence "deep") to learn and make decisions. It has been a driving force behind many recent AI advancements, enabling applications such as image recognition, natural language processing, and autonomous vehicles. The "deep learning revolution" refers to the rapid growth and widespread adoption of deep learning techniques in various industries.
- Vertical industry policies: Vertical industry policies are government strategies that focus on developing specific industries or technologies within a country. In Japan's case, they bet on a single technology direction, which turned out to be a high-stakes gamble. While these policies can lead to success in some instances, they also come with the risk of hindering innovation and growth in other areas. In Japan's case, their focus on a single technology direction resulted in a lack of presence in the ongoing AI revolution.
- Open Calm and Rinna (Japan's top AI models): Open Calm and Rinna are two notable AI models developed in Japan. However, they underperform compared to older GPT-3.5 models from OpenAI. GPT-3.5 is an autoregressive language model that uses deep learning to generate human-like text. The fact that these Japanese models are outperformed by an older model from OpenAI indicates that Japan is lagging behind in AI development.