TOKYO: The government of Japan has planned to boost its birth rate by funding Artificial Intelligence (AI) matchmaking to help residents find partners.

According to details, the government will support startups and projects that are using AI to pair people up.

In 2020, the number of births in Japan fell below 865,000, which is termed as a record low.

Japan has one of the world's lowest fertility rates and to reverse it, the government has decided to allocate 2bn yen ($19m, £14m).

There are many startups and projects in Japan helping people find suitable partners. The funds would help those projects upgrade their systems to artificial intelligence.

"We are especially planning to offer subsidies to local governments operating or starting up matchmaking projects that use AI," said a Japan’s government official. "We hope this support will help reverse the decline in the nation's birthrate."

Japan's population is expected to decline from a peak of 128 million in 2017 to less than 53 million by the end of century.