The Japanese government is planning to test an AI system to better detect wild bears, according to a government source. The move follows a record 198 bear attacks on humans in 19 prefectures last fiscal year, with 219 people injured and six killed. The system is designed to use surveillance camera images to immediately detect bears and alert the authorities. The pilot test is scheduled to begin this summer in Toyama Prefecture. If successful, the system could be used nationwide. The government is stepping up measures against bear attacks and considers rapid detection and information transmission to be crucial. A separate trial of automatic bear surveillance cameras is planned in Iwate Prefecture.

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Online journalist Matthias is the co-founder and publisher of THE DECODER. He believes that artificial intelligence will fundamentally change the relationship between humans and computers.
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