TOKYO - Toridoll Holdings, the operator of Marugame Seimen, has introduced an artificial intelligence system trained on the thinking and speaking style of President Takaya Awata, giving employees a way to consult a virtual version of the company's founder as the restaurant group expands to around 1,200 locations in Japan and overseas.
Toridoll grew into a major company with about 7,000 employees under Awata after the success of the Marugame Seimen udon chain.
As the company expanded, however, it became increasingly difficult for Awata's ideas and management philosophy to reach employees working on the front lines.
The company responded by developing a "President AI" trained on Awata's views.
To test how closely the AI could reproduce his thinking, Awata and the system were asked the same question: What do customers expect from Marugame Seimen?
Awata said customers may be attracted by "the atmosphere of an udon noodle-making workshop" and the sense of experiencing something resembling a traditional Japanese scene.
The AI version of Awata gave a more detailed response, saying customers were seeking "a living udon experience that can only be found here."
It added that customers could experience the feeling of visiting an authentic Sanuki udon workshop despite being inside a chain restaurant, describing that atmosphere as the core of Marugame Seimen.
After hearing the AI's answer, Awata said it had comprehensively covered everything that his own response had left unsaid.
The President AI is already being used in Marugame Seimen's product development operations.
Awata said he wants employees to use the AI as a sounding board to broaden their thinking and develop ideas beyond what they might reach on their own.
He stressed, however, that the system is not intended to make final decisions for employees.
"The person themselves makes the conclusion," Awata said, adding that the AI could help shorten the amount of time needed to think through an issue.
The system also reproduces Awata's manner of speaking, allowing employees to interact with an AI designed not only to reflect his ideas but also to communicate them in a style resembling the president himself.
Source: TBS
