Google LLC said Wednesday it will collaborate with the University of Tokyo to launch an initiative that uses generative artificial intelligence to address challenges faced by local communities in Japan, such as a shrinking workforce, with successful models to be rolled out nationwide by 2027. Yutaka Matsuo, a professor at the university known for being a leading figure in AI research, will be involved in the project, which will first be piloted in Osaka and Hiroshima prefectures, Google said at a technology conference in Tokyo. Students who have completed courses in Matsuo’s laboratory will wo…