First Minister for Digital Transformation, Member of the House of Representatives, Takuya Hirai

School education and economic zone construction in the Web 3.0 era!

First Minister for Digital Affairs, Member of the House of Representatives, Takuya Hirai

■ Profile
Born in Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture in 1958. After graduating from Sophia University, he worked for Dentsu Inc. and served as president of Nishinippon Broadcasting before being elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in the 42nd general election in 2000. Since then, he has been re-elected eight consecutive times. He has served as Minister in charge of IT, Minister of State for Special Missions (Science and Technology, Intellectual Property Strategy, Cool Japan Strategy, and Space Policy), Minister in charge of Digital Transformation, and the first Minister for Digital Transformation. Currently, he is promoting digital policy as the head of the Liberal Democratic Party's Digital Society Promotion Headquarters.

We now live in an era where everyone owns a smartphone or tablet, instantly connecting with the world through the internet. We spoke with Takuya Hirai, the first Minister of Digital Affairs who spearheaded Japan's digital policy, about the new economic spheres that can be realized through Web 3.0 and the metaverse, and the education needed for AI natives.

■ Promoting Japan's digitalization through the creation of a new economic zone and educational reform in the Web 3.0 era.

Promoting Japan's Digitalization Through the Construction of a New Economic Zone in the Web 3.0 Era and Educational Reform As you all know, it is a well-known fact that Japan is lagging behind in digitalization. While Japan's digital competitiveness ranks 29th in the world, we must recognize that Japan's overall competitiveness ranks 34th, lagging behind Asian countries such as Thailand and Malaysia.
My reason for entering politics in 2000 was my sense of crisis regarding Japan's lagging digitalization. Japanese people tend to be passive towards change and try to avoid failure as much as possible, but overseas, the experience gained from failure is valued. I entered politics because I wanted to "change society so that failure is seen as valuable." And so, I was appointed as the first Minister for Digital Affairs, to act as the command center for advancing the creation of a new nation as a nation.
The Digital Agency's vision is "Government as a startup." It aims to rebuild Japan as a new startup. In other words, the Digital Agency was established with the desire to forge a new path, recognizing the limitations of policies based on past experience. The internet is now the most important social infrastructure, and everyone's smartphone connects them to the world.
The GPT chat system, which became a hot topic this year, also obtains answers from American computer resources via smartphones. The internet is constantly connecting us to the world. Therefore, our digital policies are not confined to Japan, but are being pursued in a way that is open to the world.

■ Creating a new digital economy with Web3.0

Web 3.0 is about "creating a new digital economic sphere where value is digitized and exchanged." Traditional economies involved exchanging physical goods for money through some medium. However, in the internet age, this physical economy has reached its limits, and a new digital economic sphere is needed where some kind of value is digitized and exchanged. This is where the "metaverse" holds great potential.
Until now, people have communicated by meeting in person, but in the metaverse, we can communicate with a wider range of people. By seamlessly connecting technologies in the metaverse, we can create new value.
For example, ANA's (All Nippon Airways) metaverse space. By utilizing the metaverse space, it becomes possible to interact and travel with people all over the world without actually traveling abroad. This holds enormous new and unknown possibilities. In this way, Web 3.0, which seamlessly connects metaverse spaces and creates a new digital economic zone, will likely become the mainstream in the future.

■What kind of education is necessary for AI natives?

The skills required in the Web3.0 era are the ability to efficiently and quickly create programs using generative AI and provide new value to society. In 2019, during the fourth Abe cabinet reshuffle, the principles of a human-centered AI society were adopted by the cabinet. Furthermore, from 2020, in order to promote digital education by the government, mathematics, data science, and AI were made compulsory subjects for approximately 500,000 university and technical college students. The fact that many university students use ChatGPT is also a sign that the generation with a basic understanding of AI is increasing. In other words, we can say that we are moving from an era of digital natives to an era of AI natives.
To effectively utilize AI, it's crucial to first understand what a program is. In school education, there will likely be debates about whether or not to use AI. However, current generative AI is, in a sense, a know-it-all that can lie without hesitation. The important thing is to recognize that "AI is a tool for creating new value." New technologies have no inherent good or evil, no will of their own. A tool requires ethical considerations from the user, and its effectiveness depends on how it's used.
This is like a kitchen knife or a car. A kitchen knife is extremely dangerous, but if used correctly, it can be a tool for making delicious food. Cars can also cause accidents, but they are clearly more productive and convenient than horse-drawn carriages. Instead of using them, driver's licenses and insurance were created, which allowed them to become widespread. In other words, in order to implement new technologies into society, we need programming education that actively utilizes AI and trains people to be able to control it.

■Message to elementary school students

I believe Japan has a bright future. Looking back at history, the Japanese people have always been incredibly serious when faced with difficulties. Their diligence and creativity are the strengths of the Japanese people.
What I want AI natives to cherish is their adventurous spirit and desire to "try something new." What will be needed in the coming era is not the ability to cram knowledge and achieve average scores, but creativity, originality, and diversity that allows them to fully express their individuality and come up with new ideas. By learning mathematical data science and programming, you can proactively create games and programs that contribute to society with new ideas. Your serious execution ability and creativity will save Japan.

Elementary School Newspaper, September 2023 issue: Yui Takemura, 9th year student at Senshu University

Don't be swayed by information; think for yourself. I have high hopes for these sharp-minded young people!

■Please tell us about your initiatives as the first Minister of Digital Affairs.

I entered the world of politics in 2000, and even back then, I felt that Japan was lagging behind in digitalization. Digitalization should not be an end in itself, but rather a tool to be mastered. Because digital technology is invisible, it tends to be put off. However, if we neglect reform, we cannot expect any positive change. At the Digital Agency, our vision is "Government as a startup," and we are advancing reform while working closely with each and every citizen.
The internet is now an indispensable infrastructure. However, we often forget that the smartphone in the palm of our hand connects us to the whole world. ChatGPT was released in the United States, and we should no longer think of it as something that can be confined to Japan alone. Therefore, a global perspective is fundamental, including publishing Web3 white papers in English as well.

■Please tell us about the current state of ICT education.

We are also focusing on ICT education. In 2019, the fourth Abe cabinet decided to make mathematical data science a compulsory subject for university and technical college students starting in 2020. From now on, we will be moving from an era of digital natives to an era of AI natives. ChatGPT can proofread, edit, analyze, and predict texts, but it will make mistakes if used by someone who doesn't know what programming is or lacks basic knowledge.
It's essential to recognize AI as a tool and acquire the knowledge to use it effectively. In school education, we should focus not just on whether AI is good or bad, but also on how to use it. For example, knives and cars are convenient if you can control them. Similarly, new technologies themselves are not inherently good or bad. In an era where the ethical values ​​of users are being questioned, it's crucial to educate individuals who won't be controlled by technology even after its implementation in society.

■Message to students

In this age where we are easily influenced by information, please take the time to think for yourself first. Also, rather than aiming for average scores, we have high hopes for young people who stand out.
I hope you embrace your adventurous spirit and make the most of your individuality. Japanese people can achieve great things when they put their minds to it. Creativity and a serious, committed approach will surely save Japan. Let's work together and get serious for a brighter future for Japan.

Student Newspaper, October 2023 Issue: Akari Mikamiyama, 10th year student, Komazawa University