AI chatbot usage causes concern among 70% of Japanese adults

A local Japanese news outlet survey revealed that 69.4% of adults want stricter regulations for AI development and implementation.

Artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots are not new, but the rapid emergence of chatbots as integrations into emerging technology and society has raised public concerns. 

A new survey out of Japan released on April 30 revealed major concerns among the local population over the widespread use of AI chatbots. According to the report from Kyodo News, 69.4% of Japanese want stricter regulation in the development of AI.

The poll was conducted as a part of a broader survey that touched on topics such as the current government approval rate and pandemic-related events. However, the AI component comes shortly after Japanese officials openly expressed their support for OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT.

On April 10, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said the government is contemplating AI integration into its systems. However, this would only be possible if privacy and cybersecurity issues were adequately addressed.

Recently, Japan has also been pushing for a more friendly environment for innovation in the crypto and Web3 space. The country’s Web3 project team released a new white paper on April 6, on ways to expand the local crypto scene.

Related: Google ChatGPT rival AI faces in-house resistance: Report

Governments worldwide have been raising questions about AI regulation and its impacts on society. Italy was one of the first countries to temporarily ban the usage of ChatGPT. Although officials recently said the technology could reenter the country after it agreed to transparency demands. 

In Germany, regulators launched their own investigation into ChatGPT’s General Data Protection Regulations compliance. Across the European Union, lawmakers are finalizing the Artificial Intelligence Act, which will set a precedent for all member states.

Chinese authorities also announced that AI companies and the technology itself would soon be subject to mandatory security reviews following the rise in the development of the technology.

Magazine: China’s wave of ChatGPT rivals, Alibaba goes multichain: Asia Express