Japan's Trending Words in Our 2023 Stories: 'Generative AI'

As 2023 comes to an end, JAPAN Forward has picked up five top trending words to relive some of the year’s main stories with our readers.

Previously we looked at expressions originating from Japan, such as After Four Years/ Cheering Out Loud (４年ぶり/声出し応援）and Shogi Watching （観る将）. Then we moved on to the phrase describing an accelerating world trend: Global Boiling （地球沸騰化）.

Fourth in a series

Next, we look at another theme that dominated the conversation in Japan and around the world. Coming in at No 2 of our trending words is “Generative AI” （生成ＡＩ）.

No 2: Generative AI （生成ＡＩ）

A succession of artificial intelligence tools were released in 2023. They can variously create, for example, text and images based on learning from models. This is known in the field as Large Language Models or LLM.

AI has been part of our life and lexicon for a while in the form of Google searches and facial recognition. However, 2023 brought tools that made generating AI content so approachable for many.

The one tool that stands out is ChatGPT, but there were others like Midjourney, for image generation. And thereby, “generative AI” created a storm around the world, and Japan as well.

Covering the Trend

Large businesses were ahead of the curve when it came to experimenting with the technology. Popular tea company, Ito En, created a commercial with an AI-generated actress, which was greeted with awe and concern.

JAPAN Forward covered technology events, such as Japan IT Week, where Japan Inc was on full display with recent trends in AI.

Softbank’s Masayoshi Son signaled to shareholders earlier in 2023 that he intended to push for collaborations in generative AI. Of course, that included ChatGPT.

Amid the exciting developments, there are also concerns. The Sankei Shimbun editorial board called for more regulation in the field of AI. This invite came at a time when the fear of deepfakes was also rising in Japan.

In the good and the bad, 2023 was a time when many things changed in technology and the environment. They were not at the top of the list, however.

What will be the trending word of the year? A little hint: amid uncertainty, triumph in sport is likely to lift your spirits.

Check back for the top Trending Word, No 1 on our list.

Continues in: Japan’s Trending Words in Our 2023 Stories: ‘A.R.E’（アレ —）

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