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Japan Passes Data-Privacy Bill to Accelerate AI Training as Minister Warns of 'AI Colony' Risk
Hisashi Matsumoto defended a bill allowing AI training on medical and criminal records without consent. The measure passed the Lower House last week and is now before the Upper House.
Japan TimesAudio version
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Japan's digital minister warned on June 5, 2026 that the country risks becoming an "AI colony" if it fails to keep pace with artificial intelligence development. "I hope many Japanese people understand that we need to press ahead with AI development, or we'll end up becoming an 'AI colony'," Hisashi Matsumoto said at a press briefing.
Matsumoto defended a government bill amending Japan's personal data protection law.
The measure would let AI developers train models on medical and criminal records without obtaining individuals' consent. "The point of this change is that, with AI development moving so fast, Japan can't afford to fall behind," he said. The bill cleared the Lower House of parliament last week.
It is now under debate in the Upper House. Some opposition parties have raised concerns about the legislation, citing risks of data breaches. The government has increased subsidies, targeted procurement, and legal changes to strengthen domestic AI capabilities.
It has supported companies including SoftBank, Sakura Internet, and chipmakers to build homegrown AI models and computing capacity. U.S. firms such as Microsoft and OpenAI, officials have also sought to reduce reliance on foreign technology.
The European Union unveiled a technology sovereignty package earlier this week aimed at boosting domestic cloud, AI, and semiconductor industries.
