Japan’s “Society 5.0” initiative is a roadmap for today’s entrepreneurs
Japan’s “Society 5.0” initiative is a
roadmap for today’s entrepreneurs
By Mark Minevich
February 2, 2019
Mark Minevich is a digital
fellow at IPSoft.
Japan, still suffering the consequences of
its ‘Lost Decade’ of economic stagnation, is eyeing a transformation more
radical than any the industrialized world has ever seen.
Boldly identified as “Society 5.0” Japan describes its
initiative as a purposeful effort to create a new social contract and economic
model by fully incorporating the technological innovations of the fourth
industrial revolution. It envisions embedding these innovations into every
corner of its ageing society. Underpinning this effort is a mandate for
sustainability, bound tightly to the new United Nations global goals, the
SDG’s. Japan wants to create, in its own words, a ‘super-smart’ society, and
one that will serve as a roadmap for the rest of the world.
Japan hosts its first ever G20 summit in
2019 and this grand initiative will be on the agenda at the official B20
(Business 20) summit headed by the chairman of Hitachi .
Components of Society 5.0 and its
implications for the US
Society 5.0 addresses a number of key
pillars: infrastructure, finance tech, healthcare, logistics, and of course AI.
The markets being grown in Japan are impressive. In robotics they predict $87 billion in investments and the IoT market is poised
to hit $6 Billion in 2019
This means we are behind. We have not put
enough focus on what AI can do not only for industry, but what it can do to
move society forward and solve many of our most pervasive problems.
It isn’t just a problem of lack of
investment by the United States government. Just this past September the
Department of Defense announced a commitment of $2 billion over the next five years toward new programs
advancing artificial intelligence. This issue lies in the lack of a
complete partnership between the United States Government and the private
sector. But, why is Japan in the lead?
Full Fledged Embrace of AI and Cutting
Edge Technology
Along with $1.44 billion from the government for AI
funding, the Innovation Network Corp. of Japan is reorganizing to focus on AI
and big data. They are projected to grow to $4 billion and operate to at least 2034. Much
like in Britain and France, the
government has made it a point to team with the private sector to move all of
society forward.
Fresh Ideas to address Persistent Societal
Problems
Along with the governmental and private
partnership, Society 5.0 harnesses AI to address problems that continue to
plague society. They are looking at how AI can help with the trappings of an aging population, pollution, and most
importantly, how create such a sweeping initiate that is also agile enough to adjust to constant change
of society everyday.
The goal of the work being done at Hitachi now on Society 5.0 is to create a
Human-Centered Society. Technologies and innovations need to be leveraged to
aid humans and our advancement, not to replace us in anyway.
How do American Technologists Close the
Gap and partner with Japan?
First, in Silicon valley and beyond,
American technologists and entrepreneurs must create a partnership between
themselves and the U.S. government. Only when working together can we reach our
full potential.
Take the British government as a model. This past April they announced a that it had put together
“an AI deal worth more than £1 billion” that includes public and private
funding.
France sees the opportunity and is betting
on AI as well. This past spring President Emmanuel Macron announced an
AI plan that includes $1.6 billion in funding, new research centers,
data-sharing initiatives. The road has been clearly mapped for
the U.S., just follow the path.
Next, American technologists and
entrepreneurs must focus on certain industries and their ability to improve
society in its entirety. There are 4 major industries technologists and
entrepreneurs can focus on, and disrupt by modeling Japan’s Society 5.0 ideas
and approach.
Healthcare
Japan’s society is more heavily weighted
towards people over 60 than the rest of the world. In turn, more healthcare is
needed to support people for a longer period of time as people live longer.
American technologists and entrepreneurs
can capitalize by investing in and developing cognitive AI technologies that
will greatly lessen the time needed to complete administrative tasks to
allowing medical professionals to concentrate more on actually providing
healthcare.
A UK report suggests approximately 10% of NHS
operational expenses could be saved through AI and automation. If
this can be mirrored and then improved in the US the rising cost of healthcare,
and declining public health can be tackled simultaneously.
Mobility
While the population in urban centers is
growing, rural areas are being left with diminished access to everyday needs
like, transportation, stores, hospitals, and community centers.
Continue to invest and develop autonomous vehicles, drones and single-driver cargo truck convoys. Access to basic everyday needs will not be a given for those residing far from urban centers. Here lies another dual opportunity for technologists and entrepreneurs, service those in need while simultaneously moving tech and society forward.
Infrastructure
28 percent of major U.S. roads are rated
“poor” or in need of a complete rebuild. AI and other technologies such as
robots, drones, sensors and IoT will help solve these problems. How? If only 10 percent of cars in the U.S. became
self-driving, those 26 million vehicles would generate 38.4 zettabytes of data
annually. In one year that would create over eight times
the volume of the world’s current data.
Not only must we increase investment in
autonomous vehicles, but we must make a concerted effort to leverage the data
they will produce. Technologists and entrepreneurs will have an unprecedented
advantage to leverage this data to predict everything from needs of
infrastructure improvements to all bridges and roads being used by the
autonomous vehicles. Companies like Hitachi are the ones you should look to
work with. They’re doing amazing things in infrastructure today.
How can this be translated to the U.S.? That is a question for you to ask and
ultimately solve.
Mass transit is far ahead in Japan as
well. Japan’s maglev train set a world record speed of 375
mph. With vast expanses of the United States landscape, and the
ever growing challenges of flying, the rail transport industry is ripe for the
picking. Plans for the Midwest and the West coast have seem to come and go.
What will be the plan that actually works?
Fintech
Blockchain is a solution that will advance security,
transparency and fraud prevention in society. Cognitive AI is producing results
towards the goals of Society 5.0, ether it be a cashless society or a consumer
focused one. Voice prompted AI assistants are currently providing consumer
support by depositing money, performing trades, mastering trading platforms,
networking, and onboarding of customers. This Omni-channel integration will
result in finance and banking evolving to grow around customers needs. With this
evolution we will see far less needs for cash and brick and mortar banks.
In the end, data alone is just code
without meaning to its user. But, when technologists and entrepreneurs
implement AI to its max potential a true difference will be seen. In Society
5.0, humanity and machines will solve the greatest issues society faces in the
21st century. We must embrace what Japan is creating with Society 5.0, or we
will simply become a vestige of the technological past.
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