This article is a translation of the Japanese original. Where the two differ, the Japanese version prevails. Read the Japanese original（日本語版を読む）
What AI is likely to take over is routine work with a high degree of repetition. Moving to the side that uses AI, and building human skills such as cross-cultural understanding, creativity and empathy, is what will shape your career from here. The Japanese government has set out a policy of strengthening further its acceptance of highly skilled foreign professionals, so for people with specialised expertise this is a tailwind.
A worry about AI and careers, often raised by people who work in Japan on a work status of residence.
The advance of AI is not only a threat. By reviewing how you work and taking up new skills, it can also become a chance to move your career forward.
Routine work with a high degree of repetition, and the processing of large volumes of data.
AI is good at routine work with a high degree of repetition and at processing large volumes of data. Jobs such as the following are said to be at high risk of being replaced.
At the same time, we should not forget that the arrival of AI also creates new jobs and new roles.
The key to your future career is not to depend on work that AI can easily take over, but to move to the side that uses AI well.
Human skills that AI cannot imitate, and a reskilling attitude of learning without stopping.
By combining the expertise you have built up so far with your cross-cultural understanding and your language ability, you can show a strength of your own that a Japanese colleague does not have.
A policy of strengthening further the acceptance of highly skilled foreign professionals has been set out, and this works in favour of people with specialised expertise.
To raise the country's international competitiveness, the Japanese government has made clear a policy of strengthening further its acceptance of "highly skilled foreign professionals".
People with an advanced specialised field, such as IT, data science or AI development, will continue to be in strong demand. The requirements for obtaining the status may be relaxed further, and the preferential measures may be extended.
「未来創造人材制度（J-Find）」 (the Future Creation Individual system) is not a system that is still being considered. It is a system that has already been in operation since April 2023. Under 特定活動告示第51号・第52号, a stay of up to 2 years is granted with 在留資格「特定活動（未来創造人材）」 (Designated Activities).
From 2024 onwards the fields covered by 在留資格「特定技能2号」 (Specified Skilled Worker (ii)) have been extended, which makes it easier to build a long-term career. Note, however, that 特定技能2号 covers 11 fields, and nursing care is not among them. The route to keep working in the nursing care field over the long term is not 特定技能2号 but a change to 在留資格「介護」 (Nursing Care).
Effort is being put into developing digital talent within Japan. Alongside this, programmes that help foreign nationals acquire digital skills, and measures that encourage employment in related fields, may increase.
It becomes a stable career base that can absorb change, so it is worth aiming for from an early stage.
永住許可 works as a "stabiliser" for your career in the age of AI. While you are building up your record as a worker, aiming for 永住許可 as early as you can is a very effective strategy for building a stable base that can absorb whatever changes come.
Use AI as a tool, build the skills only a person has, and keep learning. These 3 things are the important strategy for moving your career forward in the age of AI.
Routine work with a high degree of repetition. Examples include clerical work such as simple data entry and filing documents, first-line handling of enquiries by chatbot, translation of routine documents, and generating and debugging routine code.
Cross-cultural understanding and multilingual communication, creativity and the ability to solve problems, and empathy and leadership. On top of that, a reskilling attitude of learning new knowledge and new techniques without stopping is essential.
The Japanese government has set out a policy of strengthening further its acceptance of highly skilled foreign professionals. For 在留資格「高度専門職」 (Highly Skilled Professional), the requirements for obtaining the status may be relaxed and the preferential measures may be extended. For 特定技能 as well, the fields covered by 特定技能2号 have been extended from 2024 onwards. Note, however, that 特定技能2号 covers 11 fields and nursing care is not among them; for the nursing care field, a change to 在留資格「介護」 (Nursing Care) is what is envisaged. Also, 「未来創造人材制度（J-Find）」 (the Future Creation Individual system) has already been in operation since April 2023, and under 特定活動告示第51号・第52号 a stay of up to 2 years is granted.
You gain freedom to choose your occupation, and your standing in society improves. It also becomes easier to arrange things such as an education loan for reskilling, so it becomes a stable career base that can absorb change.
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This page is a translation of the Japanese original. Where the two differ, the Japanese version prevails.