Japanese Government Launches AI 'Gen-nai'; Minister Reveals Use in Parliamentary Answers

The Japanese government launched a pilot program for its administrative generative AI platform, 'Gen-nai,' across central ministries in May. Digital Minister Naohisa Matsumoto revealed during a plenary session of the House of Councillors on the 27th that his draft responses for the session were assisted by 'Gen-nai,' drawing significant attention. The Digital Agency noted that this is the first time generative AI has been used to prepare responses for the Diet. According to the Sankei Shimbun, 'Gen-nai' was developed by the Digital Agency and operates on a closed government network to prevent data leaks. Currently, 180,000 out of 290,000 civil servants are participating in the pilot, primarily for regulatory research and drafting parliamentary documents. During the session, lawmaker Miho Umemura questioned the extent of AI usage. Minister Matsumoto explained that staff drafted the text using 'Gen-nai,' followed by fact-checking and his final approval. Addressing concerns about formulaic responses, the Minister emphasized that AI actually saves time, allowing staff to focus on deeper content review. The name 'Gen-nai' is inspired by the Edo-period inventor Hiraga Gennai.