Japan, US to announce deeper collaboration on AI and semiconductors

Reducing reliance on China: Japan and the United States are set to announce deeper collaboration in cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence (AI) during Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's upcoming meeting with President Joe Biden next month, according to a report from the Asahi Shimbun newspaper on Saturday. Scheduled for April 10, Biden will host Kishida for an official visit to the US.

Describing the alliance between the two nations as a "global partnership," the joint statement is expected to underline better cooperation in AI and semiconductor technologies, as reported by Asahi, although no sources were cited.

As part of this agreement, Japan and the US are anticipated to establish a framework for joint research and development in AI, potentially involving companies such as Nvidia, Arm, and Amazon, among others, as mentioned by the newspaper.

In recent months, the United States has taken assertive measures to restrict the export of advanced AI chips to China, aiming to prevent Beijing's access to state-of-the-art U.S. technology that could bolster its military capabilities.

On the other hand, Japan is also partnering with the European Union to start collaboration on advanced materials for next-generation chips and batteries, to reduce their dependence on China. 

(With Reuters inputs)