Kyoto: Japanese communications minister Junji Suzuki on Monday showed a stance of taking into account various opinions for international rules on generative artificial intelligence envisaged by the Group of Seven advanced countries.

Suzuki laid out the plan at a session of the U.N.-sponsored Internet Governance Forum, now being held in the western Japan city of Kyoto.

Japan, this year’s chair of the G-7 forum, aims to reflect the voices of developing and emerging countries, international organizations, companies developing AI tools, researchers and civil society in the rules, expected to be compiled by year-end under the Hiroshima AI Process initiative.

Behind the Japanese move is a strong sense of crisis over the division on the internet, regarded as a serious risk to society.

China and Russia are apparently increasing state control over the internet. Moscow is believed to be restricting internet use and spreading false information, while Beijing is suspected of censoring internet content and manipulating public opinion.

On the other hand, Japan, the United States and European countries are calling for the free and open internet to be maintained.

The Hiroshima AI Process was agreed on at this year’s G-7 summit, held in the western Japan city of Hiroshima in May. The G-7 members are Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States plus the European Union.

“The internet is the foundation of a democratic society, but moves that could lead to a division are also being observed,” Suzuki told reporters after the IGF session.

“It was very significant that Japan showed its strong interest in maintaining and developing a free and undivided internet,” he added.

At Monday’s special meeting of the IGF, Suzuki listened to experts including Keio University professor Jun Murai, who is often called “the father of internet in Japan.”

Suzuki also met with executives of U.S. technology giants Google and Meta, formerly known as Facebook, at the IGF venue.

Japan plans to continue collecting opinions from experts.

Also by taking into consideration proposals from academic organizations and industry groups, the Japanese government aims to reflect opinions from a wide range of stakeholders in the planned generative AI rules that are credible and highly transparent.

JIJI Press