Japanese AI Companies Challenge Global Competitors

Today's theme, "Competing with Foreign Companies through Domestic Generative AI," was discussed with the guest, CEO Daisuke Ota of Arsaga Partners. After working at companies such as Hewlett-Packard and NTT Communications, Ota founded the IT venture Trifort in 2012 and later established Arsaga Partners, an IT system development company, in 2016.

Ota shared that his venture was driven by the belief that age is not a barrier to starting a business. His company, Arsaga Partners, focuses on both development and consulting services. In development, the company has created applications for commercial facilities using generative AI and offers online real estate trading services. In consulting, they provide DX strategy formulation support for the cleaning industry and strengthen digital governance systems.

Ota explained that the integration of development and consulting is vital in today’s fast-paced digital environment, where separating these processes would hinder progress. He emphasized the importance of changing the traditional Japanese business practice where consulting firms do not engage in development.

Regarding the generative AI market in Japan, according to the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA), the market was worth 100 billion yen in 2023 but is expected to grow 17-fold to 1.7 trillion yen by 2030. Ota pointed out that this market, nearly twice the size of the smartphone game market, is one to watch closely.

To explore the potential of generative AI further, the reporter tried an AI tool for engineer interviews developed by Arsaga Partners. The tool uses generative AI to conduct interviews and analyze responses, providing detailed reports that can be used in subsequent interview stages.

The reporter noted that the AI accurately assessed skills and traits, offering valuable insights for deeper discussions in follow-up interviews.

Source: テレ東BIZ