Japan targets 10 million robots by 2040 with $6 billion sovereign AI model to tackle labor crisis

Japan wants 10 million more robots by 2040, some providing medical care

Japan has updated its national robotics strategy with a goal to adopt 10 million robots by the year 2040, with some intended to provide medical care. Minister for the Economy, Trade and Industry Ryosei Akazawa yesterday announced the amended strategy, which envisions more robots working to provide medical care, or taking on roles in the food and beverage manufacturing sectors. To make it happen, Akazawa announced investments in models for AI-powered robots and other forms of physical AI. As is often the case in Japan, this effort will bring together a handful of industrial giants to share their expertise. That collaboration will take place within a new organization called "Noetra" that will be majority-owned by SoftBank, NEC, Sony Group, and Honda. Fujitsu and Rakuten are apparently pondering participation. The minister said Japan already has a lot of robotics expertise gained from using machines in healthcare for the elderly, disaster response, manufacturing, and even decommissioning the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. He hopes to use that experience to turn Japan into a robotics powerhouse that serves domestic needs and creates world-leading products. One reason Japan is keen on robots is the combination of its ageing population and restrictive migration policies means it is hard to find workers. Robots therefore supplant humans in some roles - and often do so without much complaint because they're not taking jobs but instead are filling jobs humans aren't available or willing to perform. South Korea announced a similar plan to become a robotics powerhouse on Monday, so let battle be joined! Hopefully not giant robot battle - an aspect of robotics that's a notable feature of Japanese popular culture. ®

Noetra powers Japan's ambitious march toward a robot workforce

Japan wants millions of robots to help care for its elderly citizens * Japan plans to deploy 10 million additional robots before 2040 arrives * Nursing homes and food factories sit at the centre of expansion * Noetra will supply the AI foundation powering future Japanese robots nationwide Japan has unveiled a revised national robotics strategy which aims to introduce around 10 million robots in the country by 2040. Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Ryosei Akazawa announced the plan, which now spans 18 fields after adding food manufacturing and medical care to earlier priorities. The government intends to move quickly to establish a core AI robotics hub, supporting deployment, research, and workforce training activities across the country. Robots move beyond the factory floor Officials described the hub as central to helping companies adopt robots at scale over the coming years, particularly in sectors already struggling with staff shortages. The strategy centres on Noetra, a domestically produced multimodal foundation model developed alongside a National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology project focused on physical AI. Noetra is majority-owned by SoftBank, NEC, Sony Group and Honda, while Fujitsu and Rakuten are reportedly still weighing whether to join the consortium. Akazawa said accumulated data from elderly care, disaster response, manufacturing sites and the Fukushima Daiichi decommissioning effort underpins the government's confidence in the approach. "The utilization of accumulated data" would become Japan's "winning strategy," he said, framing global competition as a contest over accessible datasets rather than raw computing power alone. The government plans to build data infrastructure for physical AI and robots that reflects the country's own industrial strengths. It will lean on decades of experience operating machinery in hazardous or labour-scarce environments nationwide. International partnerships and regional ambitions Officials have confirmed a collaborative arrangement with research institutions in the US, Canada, France and the UK to support development of the base model. The resulting technology will reportedly be made available widely to Japanese AI developers, businesses and eventual users across multiple industries and regions. According to officials briefed on the plan, some companies are expected to use the platform as a foundation for expanding into foreign markets in later years. The minister also linked the strategy to broader efforts encouraging AI-driven transformation originating from regional areas outside Japan's major metropolitan centres, rather than concentrating growth in Tokyo alone. Japan's ageing population and restrictive migration policies continue creating labour shortages across industries struggling to recruit sufficient numbers of workers. Policymakers increasingly view automation as a practical response because many vacancies remain difficult to fill through conventional hiring efforts alone. Supporters frequently argue that robots are filling roles unavailable to human workers rather than directly replacing existing employees across industries. The revised strategy therefore includes medical care responsibilities alongside duties within food production and beverage manufacturing environments across the country. South Korea announced a comparable robotics ambition this week, adding a competitive dimension to the wider regional picture as both countries pursue sovereign AI capabilities. Whether those ambitions become reality may depend less upon announcements than sustained investment, technical progress, and broader public acceptance domestically. Via The Register Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button! And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.

Japan plans sovereign AI model, 10 million AI robots

Japan plans to develop a homegrown artificial intelligence model and have 10 million AI-equipped robots operating in more than a dozen sectors by 2040, the government said. "This strategy sets a target of approximately 10 million robots to be deployed by 2040 and, with the addition of the restaurant, food manufacturing and medical sectors, will vigorously promote social implementation across a total of 18 fields," Industry Minister Ryosei Akazawa told reporters. Japan plans to develop a homegrown artificial intelligence model and have 10 million AI-equipped robots operating in more than a dozen sectors by 2040, the government said. The country will reportedly invest around $6 billion in the homemade AI model, which will be developed by Noetra, a consortium of firms including SoftBank and Sony. Countries around the world are seeking to develop sovereign AI models to reduce a potentially dangerous over-reliance on technology from the United States and China. Media reports said that the government would provide up to one trillion yen ($6.1 billion) over the next five years, depending on the results of the initiative. The number of companies investing in Noetra is expected to increase to 44 including those in the automotive, electronics and other manufacturing sectors as well as finance and logistics, the Nikkei business daily reported. Noetra will focus in particular on physical AI, with the government also announcing on Tuesday a revised version of its AI robotics strategy. Instead of just interacting with users via software on a screen, physical AI is about the deployment of artificial intelligence in real-world settings -- such as self-driving cars, factory robots or even android butlers. Despite massive investments and big plans for AI robots, their application and performance in real-life settings remain limited. "This strategy sets a target of approximately 10 million robots to be deployed by 2040 and, with the addition of the restaurant, food manufacturing and medical sectors, will vigorously promote social implementation across a total of 18 fields," Industry Minister Ryosei Akazawa told reporters. "We will build and grow data infrastructure for physical AI and robots that capitalise on Japan's strengths," he said. With its ageing and shrinking population, Japan is also hoping that robots can help plug gaps in the workforce. Last month Japan announced a 14-year growth strategy targeting public and private investment of 370 trillion yen ($2.3 trillion) in 17 sectors including physical AI, chips, quantum technology and nuclear fusion. Neighbouring South Korea this week announced record public-private investments worth hundreds of billions of dollars into AI data centres and chipmaking over several years.

Japan plans sovereign AI model and 10 million AI robots

Japan plans to develop a homegrown artificial intelligence model and have 10 million AI-equipped robots operating in more than a dozen sectors by 2040, the government said. The country will reportedly invest around $6 billion in the homemade AI model, which will be developed by Noetra, a consortium of firms including SoftBank and Sony. Countries around the world are seeking to develop sovereign AI models to reduce a potentially dangerous over-reliance on technology from the United States and China. Media reports said that the government would provide up to 1 trillion yen ($6.1 billion) over the next five years, depending on the results of the initiative. The number of companies investing in Noetra is expected to increase to 44 including those in the automotive, electronics and other manufacturing sectors as well as finance and logistics, the Nikkei business daily reported. Noetra will focus in particular on physical AI, with the government also announcing on Tuesday a revised version of its AI robotics strategy. Instead of just interacting with users via software on a screen, physical AI is about the deployment of artificial intelligence in real-world settings -- such as self-driving cars, factory robots or even android butlers. Despite massive investments and big plans for AI robots, their application and performance in real-life settings remain limited. "This strategy sets a target of approximately 10 million robots to be deployed by 2040 and, with the addition of the restaurant, food manufacturing and medical sectors, will vigorously promote social implementation across a total of 18 fields," industry minister Ryosei Akazawa told reporters. "We will build and grow data infrastructure for physical AI and robots that capitalize on Japan's strengths," he said. With its aging and shrinking population, Japan is also hoping that robots can help plug gaps in the workforce. Last month Japan announced a 14-year growth strategy targeting public and private investment of ¥370 trillion ($2.3 trillion) in 17 sectors including physical AI, chips, quantum technology and nuclear fusion. Neighboring South Korea this week announced record public-private investments worth hundreds of billions of dollars into AI data centers and chipmaking over several years.