Mr. Kono, Minister for Digital Transformation attended the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2024
Published on January 23, 2024
Minister Kono attended the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2024* in Davos, Switzerland from January 16 to 18. He participated in 6 sessions related to AI and data, during which he discussed various topics in the digital field with government officials, representatives from the private sector, and academia. The sessions covered the progress of the Institutional Arrangement for Partnership (IAP) initiatives aimed at operationalizing Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT), international data governance, and the effective use of AI. He also had bilateral meetings with participating ministers and CEOs from the private sector between these sessions.
- *World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting
- The WEF Annual Meeting 2024, themed "Rebuilding Trust", held in Davos, Switzerland January 15 to 19 . The event was attended by over 100 governments, major international institutions, and over 1000 partner companies of the World Economic Forum, civil society organizations, experts, and the media.
Sessions
Minister Kono attended the following 6 sessions.
- Governors Policy Meeting: Information and Communications Technology & Media, Entertainment and Sport (Invitation only)
- AI, Digital Transformation and Geopolitical Instability: A Conversation with Japanese Digital Minister Kono Taro
- Building Trust through Transparency
- Informal Gathering of World Economic Leaders (IGWEL) AI: AI – How, and What, to Govern? (Invitation only)
- Japan's Bet on Cooperation
- Country Strategy Dialogue on Japan (Invitation only)
1. Governors Policy Meeting: Information and Communications Technology & Media, Entertainment and Sport (Invitation only)
CEOs and policymakers from the technology, digital communications, media and entertainment industries discussed public-private partnerships and regulation for the sustainable and responsible development and the use of AI.
2. AI, Digital Transformation and Geopolitical Instability: A Conversation with Japanese Digital Minister Kono Taro
During a discussion, participants focused on the societal changes brought about by rapid AI and digital transformation, and how to address the challenges. Minister Kono emphasized that "data distribution and access" is a crucial element for achieving Japan's vision of cyber-physical cooperation, also known as Society 5.0. He also stressed the importance of international cooperation on AI and the promotion of international data governance through DFFT.
3. Building Trust through Transparency
During the meeting, Minister Kono, the moderator, and the panelists discussed various ways to increase transparency and trust from different political, economic, and data perspectives. They also discussed the expectations for the DFFT/IAP advocated and promoted by Japan. Minister Kono emphasized that digitalizing administrative procedures and tasks would make it easier to detect errors and discrepancies. Furthermore, the digitalization would improve the transparency of information, which would eventually result in higher levels of trust.
4. Informal Gathering of World Economic Leaders (IGWEL)AI: AI – How, and What, to Govern? (Invitation-only)
The rapid development of AI, particularly generative AI, presents exciting opportunities for innovation. However, it also raises concerns regarding safety and privacy that require attention and resolution. To solve these issues, CEOs of leading companies and government ministers from each country have discussed the ways to promote innovation while also implementing governance frameworks to build trust in AI.
5. Japan's Bet on Cooperation
The participants in the session discussed the expected role of Japan in a complex global economy from both Japanese and international perspectives. They emphasized the importance of collaboration and building relationships with countries in the Global South and highlighted the significance of increasing data transparency and establishing trust between partners. Minister Kono also shared his thoughts on how Japan can continue to act as a bridge between countries with different ideas and perspectives in an increasingly fragmented world.
6. Country Strategy Dialogue on Japan (Invitation-only)
Minister Kono participated in a session to discuss Japan’s national strategy with Mr. Shindo, Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy. The ministers discussed their respective policies and visions for developing a society that enables every individual to reach their full potential and fosters innovation and diversity, considering Japan's aging population.
Bilateral meetings
Taking the opportunity of the meeting, Minister Kono met with Mr. Vaishnaw, the Minister of Railways, Communications, and Electronics and Information Technology of India, Mr. Alswaha, the Minister of Communications and Information Technology of Saudi Arabia, Mr. Fakhroo, the Minister of Industry and Commerce of Bahrain, and other participating officials.
1. India
Minister Kono and Minister Vaishnaw, exchanged views on the international data governance such as promoting DFFT/IAP, advancing digital public infrastructure (DPI), using AI and government Cloud, and establishishing future partnerships and collaborations in various digital fields.
(Meeting with Mr. Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Railways, Communications; and Electronics and Information Technology)
2. Saudi Arabia
Minister Kono and Minister Alswaha exchanged views on promoting DFFT/IAP for international data governance. They also discussed sharing best practices in administrative reform based on MOC and digitalization of public services and bilateral collaboration on using AI in public administration and exchanging digital talents.
(Meeting with Mr. Abdullah bin Amer Alswaha, Minister of Communications and Information Technology in Saudi Arabia)
3. Bahrain
During the meeting, Minister Kono and Minister Fakhroo discussed the possibility of sharing information in the digital fields and exchanged views on initiatives related to cyber security.
(Meeting with Mr. Abdullah bin Adel Fakhroo, Minister of Industry & Commerce of Bahrain)