SoftBank CEO: Japan should make AI a mandatory subject for college entrance exams

Japanese students "don't study if they are not asked … let's put it as mandatory, then Japanese students will catch up," 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. "Japan has lost the past, but may [also] be losing the future," 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 health care costs. "Even today's technology of autonomous driving is better than senior citizens driving on the street," Son said.