TOKYO - A commercial for the "Horiemon AI School" began airing nationwide in taxis on May 20th, as part of a promotional push ahead of the upcoming AI Utilization EXPO.
The ad features a fictional office conversation about the uncertain progress of AI implementation. "What’s the deal with AI anyway?" one employee grumbles, to which another replies, "If you don’t get it, we’ll teach you. It’s obviously Horiemon AI." The dialogue highlights how the system can automate tedious tasks, boosting productivity and operational efficiency.
The commercial shoot was documented on site, with commentary from Horie himself. "This might be the last time I appear in a commercial," he remarked. "AI can take over everything from now on."
According to the production team, even the script and concept planning were largely generated using AI tools. The team initially had five different draft ideas, ultimately choosing a humorous office drama-style script suggested by AI. Character sketches and casting suggestions, including AI-generated likenesses, were also created digitally.
One notable highlight of the production was the transformation of a simple sketch into a plush toy, a figurine, and LINE stickers—all through AI generation. The team demonstrated how original illustrations were fed into AI systems, which then produced fully developed marketing visuals.
"This is probably the first commercial that was fully created using AI, from scripting to casting," said a member of the production team. "We started the concept just two weeks ago, and here we are filming already."
The commercial is being shown inside taxis throughout Japan, a coveted advertising space that, according to Horie, even attracts attention from international visitors arriving at airports like Haneda.
The shoot concluded with a wrap announcement for Horie, who quipped, "Next time, I’ll just let my AI character handle it."
Horie also promoted his paid newsletter, where he answers subscriber questions weekly. The subscription costs 880 yen per month.
Source: 堀江貴文 ホリエモン
