AI Finds Diverse Roles in Relationships

Jul 25, 2026 | News On Japan

TOKYO - Generative artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming part of everyday life, with people using conversational systems for everything from relationships and parenting to health concerns and online searches.

East Japan Railway began a trial on July 20 using generative AI to help customers purchase tickets at its staffed Midori no Madoguchi ticket counters.

Masayoshi Son, chairman and chief executive of SoftBank Group, said last week that AI could replace about 20% of global gross domestic product by 2040. "To understand how large 20% is, it would amount to 7 quadrillion yen," Son said.

That figure is equivalent to roughly 60 years of Japan's national budget.

AI's growing influence is also evident in financial markets. When shares of AI-related companies fall sharply, the losses can pull down the broader Nikkei Stock Average.

An era in which AI moves both the economy and people's daily lives has already begun.

Among the various forms of generative AI, conversational services such as ChatGPT are likely the most frequently used.

The July 20 program examined how different generations can improve the way they ask AI questions and how the technology could transform the world, including the possibility of a future in which every household has its own robot-style AI assistant.

Source: FNN

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