Japan funds AI model to power 10 million robots by 2040

Japan has commissioned Noetra and the national research lab AIST to develop a multimodal “physical AI” foundation model intended to power 10 million robots across 18 industries by 2040. The industry ministry METI and innovation agency NEDO have approved the project as a funded programme that begins in the current fiscal cycle.

The model is designed to process language, images, video and sensor data together so robots can interpret a room and act on their surroundings rather than only execute pre-set motions. The development phase runs from fiscal 2026 to 2030. An early version is expected as soon as this fiscal year, with annual upgrades planned thereafter.

The commission for the current fiscal year is reported at about ¥387.3 billion (roughly US$2.3 billion), financed through GX Economy Transition Bonds. Only the first two years of funding are guaranteed. After that, funding will be reviewed annually through a stage-gate process. The ¥1 trillion figure represents an upper limit of public support rather than a guaranteed five-year allocation.

Noetra is majority-owned by SoftBank, NEC, Sony Group and Honda. Fujitsu and Rakuten are reported to be considering participation. SoftBank engineers will work alongside researchers from Preferred Networks and AIST. The consortium pairs companies that supply robotics hardware and sensors with the national lab that will build the AI software.

Industry minister Ryosei Akazawa described the plan as one that will “vigorously promote social implementation” across sectors including restaurants, food manufacturing and medical care. The government links the programme to long-term labour shortages caused by an ageing population and restrictive migration policies.

The programme builds on Japan’s existing robotics work in elder care, disaster response, manufacturing and nuclear cleanup at Fukushima Daiichi. Officials and industry backers expect to adapt that expertise for wider domestic deployment and for export markets.

An initial model will be trained using data contributed by manufacturers and participating companies. The model aims to combine visual, audio and sensor inputs with language understanding to enable more autonomous robot behaviour on factory floors, in care facilities and in service settings.

South Korea announced its own national robotics initiative one day after Japan confirmed the project. METI and NEDO will oversee progress and funding decisions; the first stage-gate reviews are scheduled after the initial two years. The programme’s early milestones and the planned release of a usable model in the current fiscal year will determine whether additional industrial partners and private investors join the effort.