Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Japan to fund AI matchmaking to boost birth rate
Japan is one of the fastest aging countries in the world. Nearly 30% of the population is above 65 years old. The people live longer than ever while the fertility rate declined to 1.36, way below the reproductive rate of 2.1. Last year, the number of newborn babies plunged to a record low at 865,000, down more than 50,000 from the previous year and less than half of the baby boomers’ generation. Under the coronavirus pandemic and economic crisis, the figure is unlikely to turn upward anytime soon.
So, Japan’s government is trying to boost the birth rate by subsidizing AI matchmaking apps and systems in the hope that more couples will produce more babies. Indeed, AI will certainly help people find more suitable partners than conventional dating sites or agencies. But even though more people find their partners, will they produce two or more children? Can AI help find more fertile couples? Is it the partner, economy, or society that encourages or discourages to have more children? The subsidization sounds like one of those Japan’s favorite political show-offs without a justifiable rationale or calculation.
Enjoy reading the article and think about what could improve the fertility rate.
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