Japan: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry published AI Guidelines for Business

On 28 March 2025, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry released the AI Guidelines for Business (Version 1.1). The guidelines establish a framework to promote the safe and secure use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in development, provision, and business use. They are structured into 3 main parts: foundational principles, risk-based considerations, and role-specific actions for AI developers, providers, and business users. The guidelines set out cross-cutting principles including human-centricity, safety, fairness, privacy protection, security, transparency, and accountability, and adopt a risk-based approach to mitigate potential societal risks. They address the governance of advanced AI systems and reference international initiatives such as the Hiroshima AI Process. The guidelines aim to support interoperability, internal governance mechanisms, and alignment with evolving legal and ethical standards across roles and sectors.