JAPAN has launched an artificial intelligence-powered virtual police chief named "AIko" as part of a broader campaign to combat increasingly sophisticated online scams that cost victims a record US$2 billion last year.
AIko, whose name combines the abbreviation for artificial intelligence with the Japanese feminine suffix "ko", made her public debut in late May on the Osaka Prefectural Police's YouTube channel, where she educates viewers on common fraud tactics used by criminals posing as police officers, celebrity investors and romantic partners.
Speaking in simple, accessible language, the virtual police chief warns the public against increasingly convincing scams targeting victims across all age groups.
“No police officers show their IDs and arrest warrants online,” SCMP reported AIko saying in one educational video while explaining real-life scam scenarios.
The AI avatar was developed by Toshinori Hirano, a visiting professor at Kagawa University's Cyber Security Centre, who previously served as an adviser to Osaka police.
Hirano said the project was designed to raise public awareness by using technology to deliver crime prevention messages more effectively.
The initiative reflects changing crime trends in Japan, where police data show that nearly half of fraud victims in Osaka last year were under the age of 65, prompting authorities to shift awareness campaigns towards younger audiences through digital platforms.
AIko's introduction comes as Japan battles a nationwide surge in online investment fraud, impersonation scams and romance scams that collectively caused losses exceeding US$2 billion in 2025.
Authorities say organised criminal syndicates operating from overseas, particularly along the lawless border regions of Myanmar, Cambodia and other parts of mainland Southeast Asia, are behind many of the schemes targeting Japanese victims.
Japan's National Police Agency has stepped up regional cooperation to dismantle the networks.
Last week, Organised Crime Department Director-General Ohama Takeshi met Cambodian National Police Deputy Commissioner-General Dy Vichea to discuss joint enforcement efforts against scam syndicates operating from Cambodia.
The two sides also discussed locating dozens of Japanese nationals believed to be missing in Cambodia, while more than 30 Japanese citizens have been arrested across Southeast Asia during the first five months of this year for alleged involvement in fraud operations.
Japan has also deployed liaison officers across the region to strengthen cross-border investigations.
Beyond law enforcement, the Japanese government is accelerating the use of generative artificial intelligence throughout the public sector to improve administrative efficiency.
Its government-developed AI platform, Gennai, is expected to be rolled out to approximately 180,000 employees across 39 government agencies following a successful pilot programme.
The secure platform offers more than 30 applications, including document drafting, meeting transcription, translation, legal research and preparation of parliamentary responses, while operating within a closed government network to minimise security risks.
Around 80 per cent of civil servants participating in the pilot programme reported that the platform had improved their work efficiency, with nationwide implementation scheduled for the 2027 financial year.
Japan’s Digital Minister Hisashi Matsumoto said he intended to use AI himself to prepare parliamentary responses, while Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has instructed government agencies to embrace trustworthy artificial intelligence and demonstrate its practical benefits to the public.
The twin initiatives underscore Japan's broader strategy of deploying AI both to improve public services and strengthen the country's response to increasingly sophisticated cyber-enabled crime. - June 29, 2026
