The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has set up a support organization, in cooperation with local governments, to accelerate robot adoption by small and midsize enterprises (SMEs) in rural areas. Aimed at boosting productivity despite labor shortages, the group will train advisers to help companies introduce and use robotics effectively and will share leading case studies from across the country. Population decline in nonurban areas is accelerating, and labor shortages are becoming more severe, particularly in manufacturing. As a result, many SMEs are struggling to secure new employees. The ministry argues that wider use of robots can help by automating task performance, boosting productivity and reducing the burdens of physically demanding work.

GMO Internet Group is making a foray into artificial intelligence (AI) and robots to help Japan deal with a labor shortage that's likely to worsen over time. "We have created a new company to overcome this near-future challenge and sustain Japan's economic growth by facilitating the use of AI, robots and industrial drones," said Masatoshi Kumagai, CEO of GMO Internet Group, during a news conference on Tuesday in Tokyo. GMO AI & Robotics, the newly formed unit, is a trading company specializing in AI and robots.

Japan's labor shortage remains a serious issue with 51% of companies reporting that they did not have enough employees, according to survey results released last week. As the labor market continues to shrink, companies have raised worsening labor shortages as one of the biggest concerns that could cause their performances to decline, with 313 companies having gone out of business in the fiscal year of 2023 as a result. Data compiled by Teikoku Databank showed that out of the over 27,000 companies surveyed in April, labor shortages were most notable in the field of information technology engineering. Over 70% of companies in the industry said they didn't have enough workers, with some saying that despite the ongoing boom in artificial intelligence technologies, they had to give up on projects because they were under-resourced.

This robot will be a household must-have that will be doing chores for millions of Americans by the end of the decade, an expert claims. Geordie Rose, founder of Vancouver-based Sanctuary AI, has created a human-sized bot called Phoenix who has already worked in two retail stores, bagging merchandise and cleaning, he told DailyMail.com. And he believes that within 10 years Phoenix or his predecessor will be capable of doing any jobs or chores a human can. The Phoenix android is already capable of doing chores such as cleaning and tidying and even filling the fridge - and is able to'learn' new skills just like a human. The robot's flexible hands enable it to perform human tasks - and it has a sense of'touch' Rose said: 'General-purpose robots must be able to sense, understand, and act on the world the same way we do.

Developed by the Israeli startup Tevel Aerobotics Technologies, these bots hover next to fruit trees, effortlessly pick the ripest fruits with suction arms, and carefully deposit them in a collection bin. With labor shortages leaving a wealth of fruit to rot on trees, farmers around the globe are seeing a glimmer of hope on the horizon as AI-driven robots fly to their rescue. These tech marvels are combating an escalating labor shortage that's leaving vast quantities of fruit to decay on trees. CLICK TO GET KURT'S FREE CYBERGUY NEWSLETTER WITH SECURITY ALERTS, QUICK TIPS, TECH REVIEWS AND EASY HOW-TO'S Developed by the Israeli startup Tevel Aerobotics Technologies, these bots hover next to fruit trees, effortlessly pick the ripest fruits with suction arms, and carefully deposit them in a collection bin. Like diligent honeybees, they're tethered to a platform that provides continuous power, enabling them to work day and night.

You may have already seen them in restaurants: waist-high machines that can greet guests, lead them to their tables, deliver food and drinks and ferry dirty dishes to the kitchen. Some have cat-like faces and even purr when you scratch their heads. But are robot waiters the future? It's a question the restaurant industry is increasingly trying to answer. Many think robot waiters are the solution to the industry's labor shortages.

When Prometheus stole fire from the gods to gift it to mortals, he enabled humans to begin civilization. But he still had to pay dearly for his crime, being bound to a rock as an eagle pecked out his liver. The lesson of the Greek myth is that while new technology can bring revolutionary benefits, there is always a price to pay in exchange. Creators of new technology may be the focus of the ire, but its users can still get burned. It's a myth that technology leaders should keep in mind as they consider the booming generative AI products market.

What happened: U.S. and EU regulators have increasingly opened up to the possibility of regulating artificial intelligence (AI). AI poses an interesting challenge as regulators look to define what it is and the reasonable balance between regulation and the progression of the technology. On one hand, AI can drastically improve quality of life by running complex algorithms to help create cures for diseases or invent new technology. On the other hand, it can -- and is -- replacing jobs and careers around the globe. People like Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk have warned it will eventually replace every job, making the need to work obsolete.

From April, revised traffic laws will allow self-driving delivery robots to navigate streets across Japan. Proponents hope the machines could eventually help elderly people in depopulated rural areas get access to goods, while also addressing a shortage of delivery workers in a country with chronic labor shortages. 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.

Many of the biggest technology headlines in 2022 were about artificial intelligence (AI). Commercial and enterprise applications of generative AI such as ChatGPT are already making a big splash in 2023, but what about the retail industry? Here, the impact of AI is likely to widen and deepen this year. AI in particular may have an outsized impact on physical stores. It can be easy to forget that, amidst all the talk about e-commerce, most people still do the vast majority of their shopping in bricks and mortar stores.