Rakuten Mobile unveiled a generative AI service for enterprises, with the aim of giving all businesses in Japan access to low-cost and accurate models to support their digital transformations.

Co-CEO Kazuhiro Suzuki explained on an online briefing most users of AI features are large entities, with the operator looking to bring the power of AI of more companies in Japan.

Suzuki added Rakuten AI for Business overcomes a number of challenges slowing implementation, such as a lack of a secure environment and technical support designed for business, leading to underutilisation.

He claimed its AI offering is easy to implement, has no upfront or setup costs and offers clients training and support via a consulting team. It gives companies a free one-month trial, with a monthly fee of JPY1,000 ($6.45) for 100,000 characters, and JPY10 for each additional 1,000 characters.

A recent Rakuten Group survey found only one in six small and medium-sized enterprises in Japan use AI, with 40 per cent of non-users unaware of AI benefits. Among the SMEs surveyed, 16 per cent use AI, indicating adoption of the technology is still in its early stages with significant potential for growth, the company stated.

Customised model
Rakuten AI for Business uses its own large language model to meet different customers’ needs. By customising the model and integrating its enterprise knowledge, Suzuki noted it can provide more tailored services for business customers, Suzuki said.

The operator will target the new service at its existing base of 18,000 enterprise clients as well as the group’s 630,000 corporate customers.

Rakuten Group partnered with OpenAI in 2023. Rakuten Mobile launched its AI chat assistant for consumers in December 2024.

Chair Mickey Mikitani last week told Bloomberg it is not competing against OpenAI or Google but is building a more vertically integrated, specialised AI model, adding it sees an opportunity in Japan, which has been slow to adopt AI-powered technologies.

He noted during the briefing the operator aims to reduce energy usage at its base stations and data centres by 20 per cent this year, part of the group’s Triple 20 goal to improve marketing, operational efficiency and client efficiency by 20 per cent. 

Mikitani said the group reached half of those targets, or 10 per cent, in 2024.