Politics & Government

Govt Preparing Bill on Naming Malicious AI Companies; Investigative Power Included, Criminal Penalties Not

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
The Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:19 JST, February 16, 2025

The government plans to submit a bill to the ordinary Diet session to authorize disclosing the names of companies that use generative artificial intelligence for malicious activities.

The proposed legislation states that if citizens’ rights and interests are violated, the government will investigate malicious AI-related cases, provide guidance to such companies, and then publicly announce their names.

The bill also states that an AI strategic headquarters, headed by the prime minister, will include all Cabinet ministers. It will promote the development of AI and respond to risks.

The government hopes to obtain Cabinet approval for the “bill to promote research and development of AI-related technologies and their utilization” in late February and pass the bill in the current Diet session.

As a basic principle, the bill stipulates that “transparency must be ensured” in the process of research and development and use, since if AI is used for illegal purposes or in an inappropriate way, it “may facilitate criminal use, the leakage of personal information, or copyright infringement.”

If the rights of citizens are violated, such as by repeatedly sending malicious false or erroneous information, the government will be given the authority to investigate the AI business operators and to provide guidance and advice based on the investigation results. No penalty provisions are included.

The bill also states that the government will formulate an AI basic plan and systematically take measures to promote the research, development and application of AI.

As part of their responsibilities, the bill called on the government to actively participate in formulating international AI norms based on the “Hiroshima AI Process,” an international framework for AI rules agreed upon by the Group of Seven countries. It also stated that AI business operators “must cooperate with government policies.”