Japan Invests $2.3 Billion in Physical AI for 10 Million Humanoid Robots by 2040
Updated
Updated · HR Brew · Jul 23
Japan Invests $2.3 Billion in Physical AI for 10 Million Humanoid Robots by 2040
3 articles · Updated · HR Brew · Jul 23
Summary
$2.3 billion in government funding will back Japan’s physical AI push, with a target of putting 10 million humanoid robots to work by 2040.
The plan aims to ease labor shortages from Japan’s shrinking workforce, especially in eldercare and manufacturing where employers are struggling to fill roles.
44 companies, including SoftBank, NEC and Fujitsu, are already participating in a nationwide initiative led by government-backed tech firm Noetra to build AI systems for robots and other machines.
Japanese employers are also testing AI workers for office tasks, reflecting a broader strategy to use AI as a supplement to human labor rather than a direct replacement.