As modern advances in technology continue to support — but also threaten — jobs, human capability, and security worldwide, Japan maintains that technology should remain a tool, not a replacement or superior version of its people.

From transportation and security to intelligence, disaster relief, and entertainment, Japan’s technological progress is rooted in careful deliberation rather than competition and convenience.

After all, technology is meant to serve people.

When artificial intelligence (AI) surged in popularity last year, Japan lagged behind other countries in AI utilization and development due to security and safety concerns, citing issues seen elsewhere, including internal information leaks caused by generative AI.

Its policy, the “Act on Promotion of Research and Development, and Utilization of Artificial Intelligence-related Technology,” or AI Act, was based on regulations developed through the Hiroshima AI Process, launched in May 2025 following the G7 Hiroshima Summit — an intergovernmental forum involving Japan, the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Germany, Italy, and Canada.

Entities from academia, civil society, and both private and public sectors are encouraged to follow the Hiroshima Process International Code of Conduct for Organizations Developing Advanced AI Systems, which is “reviewed and updated as necessary” amid the rapid development of the technology.

In fact, a November 2025 report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) found that AI is “more likely” to create jobs than eliminate them in Japan, while also improving worker conditions, skills, and wages. However, non-regular employees and older workers “appear less likely to benefit.”

Meanwhile, Meta, Facebook’s parent company, left 15,000 workers in uncertainty following AI integration, with 7,000 jobs reportedly set to change and 8,000 workers laid off to support its AI investments.

Japan’s technological development extends beyond AI. The country’s signature bullet trains continue pushing the boundaries of speed and efficiency. The Central Japan Railway Company’s L0 Series SCMaglev holds the world rail speed record at 603 kilometers per hour, potentially reducing travel time between Nagoya and Tokyo to just 40 minutes, and between Tokyo and Osaka to one hour. Though still undergoing testing, the line is expected to begin operations between 2034 and 2035.

Efficiency also defines Japan’s railway system through the acclaimed “seven-minute miracle,” where Shinkansen cleaning crews can clean around 1,000 seats within minutes.

In times of earthquakes, public broadcast systems, speakers, and mobile phones are equipped to receive warnings from P-waves detected by sensors across the country before the stronger shaking arrives.

Meanwhile, in the Philippines, the Pax Silica coalition has established a 1,619-hectare mega artificial intelligence hub in New Clark City, Tarlac, aimed at securing technological inputs and minerals vital to American and global supply chains. The project also seeks to give the country opportunities to process minerals locally instead of relying solely on exports.

According to U.S. Undersecretary for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg, the project could attract “billion-dollar American companies,” mineral investments, semiconductor manufacturing, and data centers.

On Monday, May 18, Helberg reportedly requested diplomatic immunity for American companies operating in the hub, saying the move would encourage investments. The proposal suggested the hub would operate under American law despite being located on Philippine soil. However, the Department of Justice rejected the proposal, saying the Investors’ Lease Act and the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) would govern the project.

For the Philippine workforce, the 2025 Philippine AI Report found that the country’s use of artificial intelligence in recruitment and human resources is expected to rise from 23 percent to 43 percent by 2026.