Can AI help solve Japan’s labour shortages? - BBC News

Japan is seeing if artificial intelligence can tackle its increasing shortfall of workers.

17 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, When it comes to food, the Japanese take attention to detail very seriouslyBy Mariko OiBusiness reporterA shrinking population means Japan has a shortage of workers. Many are hoping that artificial intelligence (AI) can pick up the slack.

In a country that is known to be obsessed with perfection, damaged or misshapen vegetables and fruits are hard to sell.

And if you are a specialist maker of Japanese dumplings, like the brand Osaka Ohsho, then selling a packet of gyoza with some damaged is a big no-no.

But as demand surged during the pandemic, its parent firm, Eat&Holdings, simply didn't have enough manpower to check every single dumpling, or keep up with demand.

So it turned to technology for an answer. In January 2023, it opened a high-tech factory equipped with AI-powered cameras trained to detect any faulty gyoza on the production lines.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68225115

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