SoftBank CEO: Japan should make AI mandatory subject for college entrance exams venturebeat.com

(Reuters) – SoftBank Chief Executive Masayoshi Son said on Tuesday Japan should make artificial intelligence (AI) a mandatory subject for college entrance exams, to counter the yawning gap with the United States and China in the nascent field.
Japanese students “don’t study if they are not asked… let’s put it as mandatory, then Japanese students will catch up,” Son told a government conference aimed at fostering innovation.
The comments came as Son pointed to the widening gap in GDP and AI-related patents filed in Japan compared to China and the United States.
As U.S.-China trade tensions create uncertainties along supply chains, Japan should leverage its close relationship with the United States to get ahead in cutting-edge tech, Son said.
SoftBank last month announced it would scoop up messaging app operator Line, part of a wave of consolidation in Japan as U.S. tech giants make inroads.