Draft plan spells out early mobile driver's licence rollout, domestic AI

2026-06-30

Early rollout of mobile driver's licence

The full outline of the draft 'Priority Plan for the Realization of a Digital Society', which will guide the government's digital policy, has been revealed. For the mobile driver's licence, which stores licence information on smartphones, the plan explicitly states for the first time that the government will aim for implementation as early as possible.

Under the current Road Traffic Act, drivers must carry either a driver's licence or a 'My Number licence', which records licence information on the IC chip of the My Number card, while driving. The draft also sets out a policy of easing the carrying requirement in the future so that carrying a physical licence card will no longer be necessary. The draft will soon be approved by the cabinet and reflected in the Basic Policy on Economic and Fiscal Management and Reform, to be compiled as early as July.

Prepare safe use of education AI

The draft also calls for building a learning environment where artificial intelligence can be used safely. It will develop an education-focused AI for use in elementary, junior high and high school classes and at-home study, with domestic production also in view. The plan envisages a mechanism to prevent overdependence on AI by not easily providing direct answers and instead encouraging users to strengthen their thinking skills.

Using domestically developed AI is intended to avoid answers that are biased toward a particular position or could lead to discrimination. It also takes account of responses to cognitive warfare that seeks to influence people's values through false information and other means. Looking ahead to the introduction of education-focused AI, the plan also includes a goal of advancing the database conversion of curriculum guidelines, reference materials and textbooks by fiscal 2030.

Residence management and domestic cloud also promoted

It also includes digital use in foreigner policy, which the Sanae Takaichi administration prioritises. From March 2027, the Immigration Services Agency will set up a system that allows it to obtain tax and insurance premium information using My Number and other identifiers. If there are arrears, it will take measures such as refusing to renew residence status, helping prevent unpaid bills.

To streamline screening for permission for permanent residency and naturalisation, it will compile by fiscal 2027 a conclusion on specific measures to link related information. These are currently operated on separate systems. It will also promote wider use of domestic cloud services and their application in government information systems to improve competitiveness. In a May proposal, the Liberal Democratic Party called for the need for 'AI sovereignty' that avoids excessive dependence on specific countries or companies and allows the state to control it proactively.

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