The Japanese military is spending on AI to address troop shortages.

The Japanese Ministry of Defense announced these investment measures on August 30 in its latest defense budget request, which follows the annual recruitment of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (SDF).

This year's SDF recruitment drive is considered the worst ever. From the beginning of the year until March 31st, the SDF recruited fewer than 10,000 sailors, soldiers, and air force personnel, achieving only half of its target.

"As we strengthen our defenses, we need to build an organization capable of fighting in new ways," Japan's Defense Ministry said in its annual budget request, which calls for a 6.9% increase in spending to a record 8.5 trillion yen ($59 billion).

Japanese soldiers participate in a amphibious landing exercise at Tokunoshima Island, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Photo: Reuters.

To address the shortage of new recruits, Japan's Ministry of Defense announced it will adopt artificial intelligence technology, allocating 18 billion yen next year to an AI-powered surveillance system for military base security.

Japan will also purchase more drones and order three highly automated air defense warships at a cost of 314 billion yen. These warships will require only 90 sailors, less than half the crew size of the current ships.

To deploy additional troops for frontline missions, the SDF will also hire a number of training and support personnel from former SDF members and civilian contractors.

To attract the shrinking group of people in the fighting age group, Japan plans to offer financial incentives and better living conditions, such as more private bedrooms and better access to social media.

In particular, they focused on attracting more female service members, who make up less than 10% of the SDF. These efforts to increase the number of female personnel were hampered by a series of high-profile sexual harassment cases.

To address this situation, the Japanese military is seeking 16.4 billion yen to build housing for female personnel, with improved toilets and bathrooms. They also stated they will hire external consultants to support women and enhance anti-harassment training.

In 2022, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced a doubling of defense spending to stockpile missiles and other ammunition, purchase advanced fighter jets, and establish a cybersecurity force.

However, Japan's declining birth rate is making it more difficult than ever to maintain its current SDF troop strength of 250,000.

Hoai Phuong (according to Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/khong-tuyen-duoc-du-quan-nhat-ban-se-dau-tu-vao-ai-de-giai-quyet-tinh-trang-thieu-hut-post310018.html