Japan's military to spend on AI, automation, perks to combat recruitment crisis

No one wants to dies for a NO cause. Peace shall and will prevail.

So China's digital capabilities have become so dangerous that a cyber defense force becomes necessary, and what does the SDF do when recruitment understandably falls because of repeated scandals?

Rely on AI and automation...

I guess some people do work hard to make things worse.

The US government is competing with Walmart for bodies,lots of these services make so many sacrifices for other countries

A wise policy based on this trend would be to ratchet down the regional pressure and work for a peaceful, economically strong future for Japan working together with China, South Korea and other neighbors.

The measures, unveiled in its latest defense budget request on Friday, come after the Self Defense Forces' (SDF) worst ever annual recruitment drive. In the year to March 31 it enrolled just under 10,000 sailors, soldiers and air personnel, half of its target.

This is pointless. Japan must restore conscription and drag 18 year old men into restored military.

Only then Japanese youth will rise up and vote for parties other than LDP and finally achieve a regime change.

outsource some training and support operations to former SDF members and civilian contractors.

Amakudari?

improved access to social media.

If this is all it takes to get the kids in....

It also said it will hire outside councilors to support women and strengthen harassment training.

In hope these apply to all receipts and not just women. From the sounds of things the guys could do with counselors as well.

I think the sdf ( and Japan govt in general) could do with some fresh ideas.

AI can provide suggestion and advise at the end you need man on the ground but this is Japan, always try to find one thing that can solve all problem, aging population, declining birthrate etc.

surveillance doesn’t need ai. it’s surveillance.

ai, the buzzword of the decade. i’ll bet i could sell ai fax machines and ai hankos to the government.

Unfriendly countries will pay a penalty.

Where is this extra military budget coming from? Higher taxes or reduced government services. Hands up who wants either... or probably both.

Time to dial down the sabre rattling.

Japan better start investing more into robotics so they can have an army of robot soldiers. The young people do not want to fight and die for the government, and with the internet now they have the knowledge to know all the corruption going on. Either that or just force prisoners who are in there for life or at least 20 plus years to be in there.

I don’t want to say anything is inevitable, but an AI, drone arms race seems very much unavoidable. On the positive side it will create a lot of jobs.

Where is this extra military budget coming from? 

At the top is Japan, whose national debt has remained above 100% of its GDP for two decades, reaching 255% in 2023.

It’s not coming from taxes on your hard earned money. You sell debt.

"As we increase our defensive strength"

The opposite is the case.

The LDP is increasing the offensive capabilities of the SDF.

Drones are for offensive use, as is being demonstrated in both the Ukraine and Gaza wars.

The LDP Defense Ministry proposals do not include SDF pay raises.

The LDP lavishes money on US weapons systems, pays a fortune for US bases, and even subsidizes Ukraine.

I'm confused. I thought the plan was to double the military budget quickly. 6.9% growth doesn't do that and of course that's based in Japanese Yen which we all know is no way near the 105 Yen/$USA assumed in the plan.

As we increase our defensive strength, we need to build an organization that is able to fight in new ways," the defense ministry said in the annual budget request, which calls for a 6.9% spending increase to a record 8.5 trillion yen ($59 billion)

I suggest the AI start learning half-width katakana and poor web design. Rapidly.

Japan won’t be able to defeat the Chinese on the battlefield, it’s not realistic, even a drone, even a Baba Yaga

AI, drones etc is something I wouldn't even consider in military issues, because it all cannot work intrinsically. AI can't tell a cat from a picture of a cat, so it can't tell a tank or soldier from a picture of a tank or soldier, too. For example, Ukraine knows that and puts fake pictures or models of machinery into landscape for that many Russian drones fail. On the other hand, own Ukrainian drones can't carry much load, so their use and success is rather limited even if they reach and hit something far into Russia. Their damage is almost limited to some psychological effects, but useless under all other military considerations. In shorter words, militarily such hyped new technologies like AI , drones and such are something for the garbage can, not for real and effective use in a war or conflict. Military measures and actions have to work and to be fully analog and most of all they have to be outnumbering. Everything else is a digitally inspired illusion.

motion detection, algorithms and coding for surveillance and drone operations are not ai.

we've been able to land aircraft, even on aircraft carriers, hands off and completely automated for decades.

people misunderstand ai.

America creates poverty within and sells patriotism so they have no problem recruiting.

HercolobusToday  02:05 am JST

America creates poverty within and sells patriotism so they have no problem recruiting.

We have problems recruiting so apparently we are not creating as much poverty and patriotism as the dictatorship brigade.

If you want recruits, sell yourself. Advertise on TV. YouTube.etc etc. Offer the benefits, training while earning money. Instead of going to college and being poor until you graduate. Offer postings overseas, make links with Australia, Philippines, Vietnam, the US, Europe. And offer 2 year or three years postings there. Great experiences, friends for life., sport. Adventure training. Excellent free vocational training and qualifications. Something more than shooting, although some may relish that aspect. Point out long leave options.(if any). Offer peace keeping missions abroad. There has to be more than, typhoon, earthquake rescue.

Not sure anyone joins up for good living conditions, sleeping conditions or social media unless you’re soooo overbearing to be crushingly demoralizing. Sticking a poster up with some anime characters doesn’t cut it today.