Core Summary
This news highlights two alarming trends in Japan:
1. Right-wing groups are using AI to mass-produce anti-China, xenophobic, and history-distorting content (like fake historical videos/photos) at low cost, reaching wider audiences than ever.
2. The Japanese government is ramping up AI use for "strategic communication"—including handling history-related "info wars."
Together, these trends risk blurring the line between real and fake history, making it harder to combat historical revisionism. We need to stay alert to the possibility of Japan’s government using AI to subtly push one-sided historical narratives.
1. AI Turns Right-Wing Content Into Cheap, Mass-Produced "Factory Goods"
Before AI, making anti-China or history-distorting content was time-consuming and expensive: you needed to write scripts, shoot footage, edit videos, etc. Now, things are different.
Japanese media like Asahi Shimbun found that crowdsourcing platforms (e.g., CrowdWorks) post jobs for making "anti-China" YouTube videos—using AI to do almost everything: generate images (like "Japanese vs Chinese differences"), write scripts, do voiceovers, and edit clips. The cost is tiny, and you can churn out dozens of videos in a day.
Worse, many creators don’t even hold right-wing views—they just do it because these videos get more clicks and money. It’s like a factory pumping out ideological content for profit.
2. AI Breaks Old Limits: Right-Wing Ideas Spread Farther & Faster
In the past, right-wing content was limited to a small circle: politicians, right-wing groups, certain publishers, or biased media. It was costly, so it couldn’t reach many people.
AI changed this. Now, anyone with a computer can use AI to make a video in minutes, then post it on YouTube or TikTok. These platforms have global audiences, so fake content (like "China threat" videos) can go viral overnight—way faster than a book or newspaper article.
This means right-wing ideas are no longer confined to niche groups; they’re now in the faces of ordinary people, including young people who might not know better.
3. AI Fakes History With Real-Looking Visuals—Scarier Than Words
The most dangerous part is AI’s ability to distort history with realistic visuals. For issues like the Nanjing Massacre or comfort women, right-wing groups used to deny them with written arguments. Now AI can create:
- Fake historical photos (e.g., a photo that seems to show Nanjing was peaceful during the war).
- Fake audio clips (e.g., a "witness" saying nothing bad happened).
- Fake video scenes (e.g., a reenactment that downplays Japanese atrocities).
These visuals are way more believable than text—especially for people without professional history training. And as war survivors die out, people rely more on videos/photos to learn history. If fake AI content mixes with real materials, it could replace true memories with false ones.
4. Japan’s Government Is Using AI for History-Related "Info Wars"
The Japanese government isn’t just watching—they’re investing in AI for strategic communication. Their 2026 budget includes money for "narrative info wars" (covering history issues). They say they’re using AI to monitor public opinion and analyze information, but there’s a hidden risk:
Later, they might use AI to make and spread one-sided historical content. For example, instead of openly denying the Nanjing Massacre, they could use AI to make videos that:
- Selectively show史料 (historical materials) favorable to Japan.
- Downplay Japan’s aggression.
- Frame history as "disputed" (so people doubt the truth).
This is more隐蔽 (hidden) than direct denial—harder to catch and counter.
5. What China Needs to Do to Stay Alert
We can’t ignore these trends. Here’s what we should do:
1. Track the government: Watch if Japan starts using AI to make history content.
2. Monitor budget use: See how they spend money on strategic communication.
3. Watch AI’s role: Check if AI moves from analyzing info to generating fake historical content.
4. Counter fake content: We need to spread real historical materials (photos, videos, testimonies) to counter AI-generated lies.
The goal is to make sure the truth about history isn’t buried by AI-faked lies.
This analysis breaks down the issue into simple, easy-to-understand parts—so even non-experts can see the risks and what needs to be done.