Here's what you can do next Japan is increasingly tightening its language requirements for those looking to live in the country. Japan is increasingly tightening its language requirements for those looking to live in the country, with the Immigration Services Agency (ISA) releasing its stricter language requirements for permanent residency applications this week. Over the course of this year, the administration of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has rolled out a raft of Japanese-language requirements across several residence statuses -- leading to a surge in demand for the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), considered the gold standard in measuring fluency. The revised guidelines released by the ISA on Thursday require permanent residency applicants to demonstrate ability at B1 or above -- roughly N3 on the JLPT -- on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) starting in April next year. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.

While Gemini 4 has performed well on benchmarks widely used to gauge model efficacy, it does less well when employees actually put it to work, according to people with direct access to the effort. Alphabet's Google has begun rolling out Gemini 4 Argon, its long-awaited flagship artificial intelligence model, but the company is grappling with internal skepticism over how well it performs in key areas, such as coding. Google unveiled the model Wednesday to a small group of trusted cybersecurity partners and said it would expand access after additional testing, starting with paid subscribers. The company said Gemini 4 posted leading scores on several benchmark tests, including beating OpenAI's Astra model on one that measures security skills. But some insiders say those metrics don't tell the whole story.

U.K. accuses China of using academics to spy on AI and other tech research Policemen stand guard outside the Chinese Embassy in London on Oct. 18, 2015. LONDON - Britain's MI5 spy agency issued an unprecedented alert on Wednesday to warn that a Chinese organization was involved in funding academic research into topics such as AI on behalf of Beijing's state security service. In its "Espionage Alert," MI5 said more than 100 U.K.-based academics had contributed to projects funded by the China General Technology Research Institute (CGTRI), which had "very strong ties" to the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS), Beijing's civilian intelligence service. "MI5 has identified that the primary purpose of CGTRI is to fund academic research that directly improves MSS technical capability for espionage," the alert said. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.

Disaster response an'urgent issue,' says new land minister Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Minister Tatsunori Ibayashi answers questions during an interview in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on Wednesday. New Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Minister Tatsunori Ibayashi on Wednesday pledged to respond to heavy rain and other natural disasters with a sense of urgency. Disaster response is an "urgent issue," Ibayashi said in an interview with media organizations, adding that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has strongly instructed Cabinet ministers to prioritize countermeasures. Large-scale natural disasters, including Typhoon Dujuan, have caused significant damage recently in Japan, he said. "The types of disasters have diversified considerably."

A test run of a suitcase-shaped robot equipped with artificial intelligence to guide visually impaired people was conducted at the Toranomon Hills complex in Tokyo on Monday. Mori Building and others showcased a demonstration in Tokyo on Monday of a suitcase-shaped robot equipped with artificial intelligence that can guide visually impaired people. The trial at the Toranomon Hills complex will run throughout October. It comprises two courses -- one that guides people with impaired vision through indoor and outdoor areas and another allowing any visitor to try out the device. The robot is being developed by the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, also known as Miraikan, with the aim of eventually offering it as a rental service.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg reveals the Muse Charm device during the Meta Connect event in Menlo Park, California, on Wednesday. MENLO PARK, California - Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday unveiled a small handheld gadget called Meta Charm for using its new Muse AI assistant, taking the company's hardware efforts beyond its successful smart glasses. The AI device, about the size of an Apple AirPods case, features a roughly 2-inch (5 centimeter) touchscreen and a built-in 5G connection. Meta said Charm would be ready to ship for the holidays in December but did not give a price. "We pack the whole Muse experience, including the whole real-time voice and avatar stack, into something that fits on a keychain and is always available to talk to," Zuckerberg said at Meta's annual device event, Meta Connect, in Menlo Park, California. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.

NEC's five different aromas developed through the use of artificial intelligence are displayed at the company in Tokyo. An increasing number of companies are turning to fragrance as a way to foster a sense of unity across corporate groups and promote their corporate brand strategy. By tapping into the sense of smell, which is considered an intuitive and memorable form of sensory stimulation, companies aim to establish a consistent corporate image while creating pleasant workplace environments. Fragrance is also expected to help improve work efficiency. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group has selected a signature scent, dubbed "MUFG Fragrance," as part of its efforts to create a comfortable workplace and strengthen its brand strategy. The chosen scent is a refreshing fragrance reminiscent of a forest.

From smart glasses to AI pins, privacy fears challenge tech's next big bet Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg delivers a speech, as a pair of Ray-Ban smart glasses appear on screen, during the Meta Connect event at the company's headquarters in Menlo Park, California, on Sept. 27, 2023. SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK - Companies betting artificial intelligence devices will usher in a post-smartphone era are fueling privacy fears around the globe that could slow adoption of the emerging technology. The backlash against devices that can see, hear and respond to the world around them has been strongest against Meta's Ray-Bans, which made smart glasses mainstream by pairing EssilorLuxottica's trendy designs with AI from the social media giant chasing "personal superintelligence." The glasses have become a lightning rod for growing unease over AI-powered devices, drawing scrutiny from courts weighing privacy lawsuits, users fearing covert recordings and critics warning of a future in which ubiquitous AI eyewear erodes expectations of anonymity and consent. Several U.K. venues, including one of the country's biggest pub chains, Wetherspoon, have restricted the use of the frames.

Masayoshi Son, chairman and chief executive officer of SoftBank Group, speaks at the SoftBank World forum in Tokyo in July. SoftBank Group is seeking the equivalent of more than $11 billion in what would be one of the biggest junk bond deals ever, people familiar with the matter said Monday, as billionaire Masayoshi Son's conglomerate ramps up its investments in ChatGPT creator OpenAI. The company is looking to issue $10 billion of dollar securities across three tenors, and €1 billion ($1.1 billion) of euro notes across two maturities, according to the people, who asked not to be identified as the discussions are private. The money will be used in part to fund a follow-on investment in OpenAI expected to close next month, the people said. The deal may price on Thursday, they added.

AI's wobbly house of cards puts markets and U.S. economy at risk Protesters during a demonstration calling for a slowdown in the development of advanced artificial intelligence systems outside city hall in San Francisco on Thursday. The heads of America's leading AI development labs have started a national conversation about tapping the brakes on a technology that's offering so much promise for society, while at the same time showing it can do a frightening amount of harm. It's a debate that needs to be had, and a real solution invariably will be hard to come by. But considering the trillions of dollars of investment gains and market value that have been built on the assumption that AI will keep growing at breakneck speed for years and years to come, what happens to Wall Street -- and more importantly Main Street -- if it doesn't? "People may not fully grasp just how wound up the market and the economy is in all of this," said Jim Morrow, chief executive officer of the Boston investment firm Callodine Capital Management.