SoftBank's Son says Japan should make AI mandatory subject for college students

Dec 19, 2019 | News On Japan

Dec 19, 2019 (Japan Today) - SoftBank Group Corp Chief Executive Masayoshi Son said on Tuesday Japan should make artificial intelligence (AI) a mandatory subject for college entrance exams, to counter the yawning gap with the United States and China in the nascent field.

Japanese students â€œdonâ€™t study if they are not asked... letâ€™s put it as mandatory, then Japanese students will catch up,â€ Son told a government conference aimed at fostering innovation.

The comments came as Son pointed to the widening gap in GDP and AI-related patents filed in Japan compared to China and the United States.

â€œJapan has lost the past, but may be losing the future,â€ he said.

Son said Japan should focus on two areas - autonomous driving and DNA-centered medicine - to help combat the pressures of its rapidly aging society, which is seeing a rise in traffic accidents involving elderly drivers and healthcare costs.

â€œEven todayâ€™s technology of autonomous driving is better than senior citizens driving on the street,â€ Son said.

SoftBank and its $100 billion Vision Fund has focused investments in these two areas, including ride-hailer Uber Technologies and medical testing firm Guardant Health. Both companies have sold off in public markets recently.

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