US, Japan Collaborate on AI Research for Life Sciences, Workplace Development

Japan has established new partnerships with universities in the U.S. to speed up AI research efforts.

Under the agreement, the University of Washington and the University of Tsukuba will jointly research AI and workplace development.

In a second partnership, Carnegie Mellon University will work with Keio University to focus on multimodal learning, embodied AI and life sciences.

Private U.S. and Japanese companies including Nvidia, Softbank Group and Amazon will provide $110 million to support the research efforts.

“Nothing is more important than having trusted partners who can collaborate not only on the technological side of this critical research but on the ethical side as well,” said Rahm Emanuel, U.S. ambassador to Japan. “With our countries’ shared values and world-leading expertise, these partnerships can help set the standard in this fast-evolving field.”

The Department of Commerce Research Library in Washington D.C. was the venue for the announcement of partnerships during Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's state visit to the U.S.

“The U.S. is committed to working with our allies and partners to lead on the development of safe and responsible AI and welcome opportunities for collaboration between our institutions in leading-edge technology,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.

Related:Microsoft Invests $2.9 Billion to Enhance Cloud, AI Infrastructure in Japan

The newly struck research agreements deepened bilateral cooperation on emerging technologies between the two nations. 

In May 2022, President Biden and Prime Minister Kishida committed to expanding cooperation between the U.S. and Japan on science and technologies. Leading universities from both nations would then sign research agreements covering semiconductors and AI on the sidelines of the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Hiroshima last summer.

During Prime Minister Kishia’s state visit, the U.S. and Japan also agreed to explore ways to boost investments in their respective power grids to support power-intensive industries including AI, data centers and quantum computing.
Kishia’s visit also coincided with Microsoft announcing plans to invest $2.9 billion to build and improve cloud and AI infrastructure in Japan.