Japan’s planned use of artificial intelligence to assist in analyzing 5,000 public projects aims to formulate more effective policies and optimize budget allocation.
According to a Vietnam News Agency (VNA) correspondent in Tokyo, Japan plans to use artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze over 5,000 government projects and initiatives, focusing on establishing goals, outcomes, and budgets for public works and subsidies.
According to a review by the Administrative Reform Promotion Headquarters of the Cabinet Office, the government will implement a new administrative system starting in fiscal year 2028. The objective is to use AI to formulate more effective policies and optimize budget allocation.
Initially, the AI will learn from existing data on administrative initiatives over a one-year analysis period. This task was assigned to a private consulting firm this month. The AI will review project reports from relevant ministries and agencies, which include information on budgets, expenditures, and outcomes. Through this learning process, the AI will enhance its accuracy and proposal-making capabilities.
The AI system will also be tasked with evaluating cost-reduction measures and labor savings, as well as identifying technologies that can be shared across different projects.
Project reports, referred to as “review sheets,” are prepared for all initiatives that use public funds. These reports provide an overview of the project, the status of budget expenditure, and the results achieved, as well as the quantitative progress against set targets.
Staff at ministries and agencies set project goals and evaluate the results. However, in some cases, it is difficult to set appropriate goals that align with the project’s content or can solve the stated problems. Fairly evaluating the outcomes can also be challenging.
An official from the Administrative Reform Promotion Headquarters stated, “Some ministries and agencies are in charge of a large number of projects, so staff are sometimes unable to grasp the full progress or the content of each project’s report.”
This is why AI will be deployed to manage projects and initiatives from the fiscal year beginning in April 2028, when the current administrative system is scheduled to be upgraded.
During the implementation phase, the AI is expected to be used for drafting project overviews, analyzing whether goals and outcomes are appropriate, and identifying performance indicators, according to the review.
In the long term, AI will be used from the very beginning of the policymaking process. For example, in an infrastructure project, the AI will determine the appropriate scope and budget, develop a maintenance plan, and forecast the economic impact on various regions.
The AI will also draw on lessons from past successes and failures to propose policies and generate ideas for project improvement. The goal is to ensure optimal fiscal spending and enhance the efficiency of services.
