Taiwan's Asustek Computer plans to introduce one of the first services that lets companies tap into the potential of generative artificial intelligence while keeping control over their data. The novelty of the Taipei-based firm offering, called AFS Appliance, is that all of the hardware will be installed at the client's own facilities -- to maintain security and control. The AI computational platform, built on Nvidia Corp.'s chip technology, will be operated and updated with new data by Asustek, also known as Asus. A major concern around services like OpenAI is that they're operated through online data centers that can expose sensitive information. Samsung Electronics Co. banned employees from using OpenAI's ChatGPT after it found workers had uploaded sensitive code to the platform.

The Japanese startup Gitai, fresh off raising a new round of funding, is expanding in the U.S. as it seeks to create a robot workforce that will reduce the costs and risks of operating in space. While Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are working on rockets and the challenges of getting to space, Gitai Chief Executive Officer Sho Nakanose is focused on labor costs. He believes it's too risky and impractical for humans to assemble and inspect machinery in space, while equipment now used is far too expensive. "The bottleneck of the space industry has been changing rapidly," Nakanose said in an interview on Bloomberg TV on Monday. "Huge space companies such as SpaceX and BlueOrigin are solving the space transportation problem, and now the bottleneck has changed from transportation costs to operational costs."

Such services are expected to become a new means of public transit in regions facing population decline. In Eiheiji, where level 4 autonomous driving was approved for the first time in the country, a seven-seater electric cart developed by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology and others runs on a section of a walking trail spanning about 2 kilometers. There is no operator in the cart, and one person in charge of remote monitoring manages up to three such electric carts. This could be due to a conflict with your ad-blocking or security software. Please add japantimes.co.jp and piano.io to your list of allowed sites.

Fast-evolving AI technology could turbocharge misinformation in U.S. political campaigns, observers say. The 2024 presidential race is expected to be the first American election that will see the widespread use of advanced tools powered by artificial intelligence that have increasingly blurred the boundaries between fact and fiction. Campaigns on both sides of the political divide are likely to harness this technology -- which is cheap, easily accessible and whose advances have vastly outpaced regulatory responses -- for voter outreach and to churn out fundraising newsletters within seconds. This could be due to a conflict with your ad-blocking or security software. Please add japantimes.co.jp and piano.io to your list of allowed sites.

With the U.S. and its allies rapidly bolstering military capabilities around Taiwan, a successful Chinese invasion, let alone an occupation, of the self-ruled island is becoming an increasingly difficult proposition. But with the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) increasingly focused on "intelligent warfare" -- a reference to artificial intelligence-enabled military systems and operational concepts -- experts warn that Beijing could eventually have a new card up its sleeve: "cognitive warfare." The term refers to operations based on techniques and technologies such as AI aimed at influencing the minds of one's adversaries and shaping their decisions, thereby creating a strategically favorable environment or subduing them without a fight. This could be due to a conflict with your ad-blocking or security software. Please add japantimes.co.jp and piano.io to your list of allowed sites.

LOS ANGELES – A few days after a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas, a year ago, taser-maker Axon Enterprise floated the idea of a "nonlethal" drone for schools that could be activated by AI-powered surveillance. It caused a stir -- prompting the company's own AI ethics advisory board to quit in protest and highlighting growing unease about the ethics and effectiveness of security tools being marketed aggressively by technology firms to U.S. schools. "I had to have my secretary screen out the calls from all these companies," said Rita Bishop, former superintendent of the school system in the city of Roanoke, Virginia, recalling sales pitches for everything from drones to AI-powered surveillance cameras and weapons detectors. This could be due to a conflict with your ad-blocking or security software. Please add japantimes.co.jp and piano.io to your list of allowed sites.

Japanese railway operators have begun to make full-fledged efforts to introduce self-driving trains. Railway firms previously avoided implementing such technologies on existing train lines due to safety risks, but they are now facing the need to streamline operations as Japan's falling population gradually shrinks the pool of potential drivers. Central Japan Railway Co., or JR Central, said in March that it will introduce train cars equipped with automatic train operation, or ATO, technology in stages on its Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train line from around 2028. This could be due to a conflict with your ad-blocking or security software. Please add japantimes.co.jp and piano.io to your list of allowed sites.

Amid growing concerns over the governance of generative artificial intelligence, the Group of Seven leaders gathering in Hiroshima agreed Saturday to launch a working group to beef up collaboration to tackle various issues in relation to the new technology. The G7 nations will start the initiative -- dubbed the Hiroshima AI process -- later this year to facilitate discussions. The group is also expected to be joined by relevant international bodies, including the OECD. Generative AI tools like ChatGPT have taken the tech world by storm and are believed to be a game changer that could significantly boost productivity. But they are also likely to pose risks, such as eliminating jobs and spreading fake news. This could be due to a conflict with your ad-blocking or security software.

Hiroshima – The world must urgently assess the impact of generative artificial intelligence, G7 leaders said Saturday, announcing they will launch discussions this year on "responsible" use of the technology. Text generation tools such as ChatGPT, image creators and music composed using AI have sparked delight, alarm and legal battles as creators accuse them of scraping material without permission. This could be due to a conflict with your ad-blocking or security software. Please add japantimes.co.jp and piano.io to your list of allowed sites. If this does not resolve the issue or you are unable to add the domains to your allowlist, please see this FAQ.

Hiroshima – It's been nearly 78 years since Hiroshima was reduced to ashes by an atomic bomb. As each year passes, memories fade, with fewer survivors able to pass on their stories to the next generation. With that in mind, public broadcaster NHK is tapping virtual reality and artificial intelligence to provide vivid, immersive and interactive experiences that will withstand the test of time, with the displays previewed for members of the media during the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima. Below is a firsthand account of experiencing the displays. This could be due to a conflict with your ad-blocking or security software.