The Japanese government will invest in artificial intelligence (AI) to help citizens find their soul mates – and, perhaps, help stabilize the country's declining birth rates.
As reported by the Japan Times, the Cabinet intends to allocate ¥2 billion ($19 million) to local authorities that run dating programs for residents of the country.
Overall, about half of the country's 47 prefectures already offer services for meetings and appointments, and some have already introduced AI-powered technology solutions to improve these services .
A Japanese official told the publication that while AI (artificial intelligence) technology is not a “romance technology,” solutions based on these algorithms can match with a “broader and smarter range of potential suitors/partners.”
In other words, the typical forms you fill out for some dating, such as listing political views , likes, and goals, could be pushed through AI and then connected with the most suitable match for you.
Current “dating” services in Japan use similar, standardized forms , and the goal is for artificial intelligence to use this data to perform a more advanced analysis of people looking for a relationship.
The government hopes this initiative "will help increase the nation's birth rate.".
Japan has one of the lowest fertility rates in the world, and the number of children a woman in lifetime – taken as an average across the country – has fallen from 2,001 in 1960 to 1.42 in 2018.
It is possible that this number has decreased further due to COVID-19 and the difficulties faced in socializing and dating for young people, which may further hinder the younger generation from connecting with potential partners.
Source: zdnet.com
