OPRI Convenes Dialogue on Advancing Ocean System Change

On March 12, the Ocean Policy Research Institute (OPRI) of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation hosted a discussion to exchange views on advancing system change in the ocean sector. The meeting brought together stakeholders engaged in ocean innovation, impact investment, and ecosystem development.

IINA: AI Pessimism in Japan

In spring 2025, Stanford University’s Institute for Human-Centered AI (HAI) released its annual “Artificial Intelligence Index Report.” First published in 2017, the report offers a detailed, data-driven, global overview of artificial intelligence (AI), covering research and development (R&D), policy, public opinion and more. The public opinion section draws on surveys by Ipsos, a major market research firm regularly tracking global opinions on AI: over 23,000 adults were interviewed across 32 countries, including approximately 1,000 respondents in Japan, who were sampled to reflect the demographic composition of the national population. In the 2025 version of the report, Japan’s public opinion on AI is strikingly pessimistic, especially when compared to other countries and global trends.

By Diletta Fabiani, Research Fellow, Sasakawa Peace Foundation

IINA: Thailand-Cambodia Border Conflict and ASEAN’s Limited Mediation Role

Since May 2025, Thailand and Cambodia have been locked in a cycle of armed clashes along their disputed border that have followed a familiar pattern: military confrontation, a ceasefire agreement, renewed tensions in the border zone, and then another round of fighting. Major escalations occurred in July and December. What began as exchanges of gunfire flared into Thai airstrikes on Cambodian military facilities, while the militarily weaker Cambodia countered with drone attacks. The intensity of the clashes has grown, resulting in more than a hundred deaths—including civilians—and the displacement of roughly 800,000 people. Cross border economic and social activity has come to a halt.

By Tomotaka Shoji, Director, Regional Studies Department National Institute for Defense Studies (NIDS)