Japan's education ministry has asked universities and technical colleges across the country to come up with their own policies or guidelines on using generative artificial intelligence.

The ministry notified the institutions of the request on Thursday.

The move comes after the ministry released interim guidelines on using generative AI for elementary, junior high and high schools last week amid the rapid spread of the technology.

The ministry says in the notification that it is preferable for each university and college to decide how to use the technology depending on its courses and programs.

It proposes that students come up with ways to use generative AI by changing questions and instructions for such systems.

The ministry also says generative AI can provide answers containing factual errors, and that there are risks of personal data leaks or copyright infringement.

It urges the institutions to consider ways to respond to violations of their policies or rules on using such AI.

The ministry says that as the technology is expected to evolve rapidly, each institution should review its guidelines soon and appropriately.

Some universities in Japan have already created policies on whether and how much to allow students to use generative AI in classes and writing reports. The ministry's notification is expected to accelerate such moves.