The giant e-commerce company Rakuten in Japan has announced the upcoming launch of a significant linguistic model (LLM) in the coming months. This model represents a big step forward in artificial intelligence capabilities in Japan and marks the country’s official entry into the highly competitive artificial intelligence race.
In an interview with CNBC, Mr. Hiroshi Mikitani, the CEO of Rakuten, confirmed that the company has plans to offer the LLM technology to foreign companies. He explained, “We can easily guide them in their business operations, provide them with necessary training, and offer them a platform to fully benefit from this technology within their business context.”
The development of LLM technology by Rakuten indicates Japan’s seriousness in keeping up with global leaders in the field of artificial intelligence. Despite Japan always being a pioneer in robotics and other technologies, it has lagged behind in artificial intelligence.
The launch of LLM technology from Rakuten could have a significant impact on global competition in the field of artificial intelligence. Competition in the field of LLM is already intense, and Rakuten’s entry efforts could intensify this competition, potentially encouraging rapid development and improvement of LLM technologies as a whole.
While the United States and China have been leaders in artificial intelligence technology, Japan’s entry could lead to a rebalancing of power. Other Asian countries may also follow a similar approach.
Rakuten is not the only Japanese company throwing its hat in the ring. The communications company NTT, based in Japan, has announced that it will begin offering its own LLM “tsuzumi” certificate to companies aiming to enhance operational efficiency and digital transformation (DX) starting from March 2024.
With companies like Rakuten and NTT entering the artificial intelligence sector, Japan appears ready to become a major force in this field.
