Photo/Illutration Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, which developed the ChatGPT service, speaks with reporters in Tokyo on April 10, 2023, after his meeting with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. (Koichi Ueda)

An unusual meeting in early April between Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and the CEO of a U.S. artificial intelligence technology startup came about in part because of concerns the Group of Seven summit Japan will host in May might place restraints on such technology in one of its joint statements.

Desperation on the part of lawmakers of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to jump-start the nation’s AI development was another key factor as they view the technology as an opportunity for huge economic gains in the future.

Multiple sources provided details behind the April 10 meeting in Tokyo between Kishida and Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, which developed ChatGPT, a generative AI service that provides answers to whatever question the user submits.

Japan was the first overseas destination for Altman since his company began providing the ChatGPT service.

LDP lawmakers not only approached OpenAI about Altman visiting Japan, they also set up the meeting with Kishida, the sources said.

One lawmaker said the initial mood among those close to Kishida was, “Is it all right to have the prime minister meet someone we know so little about?”

An LDP AI project team submitted a set of proposals to the government on March 30 calling for, among other things, the creation of an environment for research and development into advanced AI, including ChatGPT, as well as aggressive use of such technology by government offices at all levels.

The proposal also pushed for the creation of startups and the use of AI technology to write the first drafts of responses by ministers to opposition questioning in the Diet.

The burst of enthusiasm in Japan is at odds with moves in Europe and the United States to limit the use of ChatGPT and similar technology due to privacy concerns.

But Takuya Hirai, who chairs the LDP’s Headquarters for the Promotion of a Digital Society, which encompasses the AI project team, said: “Nothing will be resolved only through regulations. We must always have a positive mindset.”

Several Cabinet ministers are on record as being in favor of using the technology if it can improve work efficiency.

The emphasis on promoting the technology reflects the fact that Japan trails other nations in AI research and development and applying it to industry.

“If other nations where AI research is more advanced are the hares, then Japan is the tortoise,” said a government source. “But this tale is about the tortoise overtaking the hares while it is resting due to regulations.”

The LDP lawmakers decided to invite Altman to Japan before the G-7 summit to head off any possible move to include regulations on AI technology in any joint statement coming out of the meeting.

After his session with Kishida, Altman told reporters: “We had a great meeting. He was incredibly thoughtful.”

Altman said his company was now thinking about setting up a base in Japan. He added that he wanted to incorporate Japanese language and culture into ChatGPT to improve the model for easier use by Japanese.

OpenAI officials were likely briefed on the fast pace at which Japanese are beginning to use ChatGPT despite its lagging position in AI technology. There is also huge interest in Japan in trying out the prototype Bing search engine service begun by Microsoft Corp. in February that incorporated ChatGPT technology.

(This article was written by Yuta Ogi, Yasuyuki Onaya and Taro Kotegawa in Tokyo and Daisuke Igarashi in San Francisco.)

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