AI, mobile and a duty to society: CEO Mickey Mikitani at Rakuten Optimism 2023
“AI isn’t only going to transform the way we shop, or the way we learn. It will change the very structure of society itself.”
These bold words from Rakuten Group Chairman and CEO Mickey Mikitani set the tone for this year’s Rakuten Optimism business conference held in Japan last month. The event gathered prominent voices across a range of industries to share their wisdom on the topics of the day – and perhaps no topic loomed larger than artificial intelligence (AI).
AI must be for everyone
During his keynote address, Mikitani impressed upon the crowd in Yokohama just how central AI tech will be in the coming years. The rise of AI could be another pivotal breakthrough – the kind that has allowed tech companies like Rakuten to sustain decades of consecutive growth.
“First we had the explosion of the internet, and it changed our very society. The second big explosion was the smartphone. And now, we’re seeing the arrival of a third explosion in the form of AI,” he said. “AI could prove to be even bigger than both of these.”
Rakuten’s ecosystem has continued to evolve with the tech landscape and the coming AI wave will be no exception, Mikitani affirmed. The keynote also proved an opportune moment to announce a new opportunity in the AI space: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman joined Mikitani virtually to reveal a collaboration leveraging Rakuten’s powerful data.
But Rakuten’s end goal, Mikitani stressed, is to put AI tech to work for all of society.
“Rakuten operates a wide range of services. The Rakuten Group has strategic alliances in almost all prefectures of Japan, and partnerships with many local governments,” he said. “The most important thing for us is to leverage the power of AI to empower everyone: Our users, small companies, large companies. Entire countries.”
“We want everyone to have access to AI tools. That’s the Rakuten way.”
Mickey Mikitani, Chairman & CEO, Rakuten Group
If there is a lack of clear purpose, Mikitani warned that the advancement of AI tech could lead to a concentration of power.
“If we get AI wrong, only the big companies will win, and the smaller companies will suffer more and more. Local economies will continue to decline. That’s not what we want. We want everyone to have access to AI tools. That’s the Rakuten way.”
Connectivity is a social right
“There’s no point to all this AI talk if nothing materializes. We want to pursue ideas that materialize, make plans to carry them out, and use AI to empower Japan,” Mikitani told the audience. “Wireless mobile networks will be a crucial tool to take advantage of AI tech. And this is something we want to make affordable and available to everyone.”
Rakuten Mobile became Japan’s fourth major mobile carrier with its full-scale launch in 2020, using cutting-edge software-based solutions to achieve unparalleled network efficiency and stoking competition in a previously stagnant market.
Once among the most expensive in the world, average cell plans in Japan have come down significantly in the three years since – a welcome relief for consumers struggling with inflation and rising energy costs.
“Smartphones are no longer simply phones. They’re wallets. With AI, they are a new source of intelligence. Until now, the web was a big library. This could all change with artificial intelligence.”
“Of course, Rakuten Mobile is attractive from a business perspective,” Mikitani said, highlighting its many positive effects on the Rakuten Ecosystem. “But we are committed to our philosophy that everyone should have access to affordable and fast networks.”
AI and smartphones: Redefining connectivity and intelligence
Today, Mikitani argued, access to a smartphone is a social right, and the arrival of AI tools has the potential to compound their importance.
“Smartphones are no longer simply phones. They’re wallets. With AI, they are a new source of intelligence. Until now, the web was a big library. This could all change with artificial intelligence.”
Access to this intelligence should not be limited by social factors or data caps, Mikitani argued.
“We cannot have a situation in which these tools are only available to people of certain income levels or location – not here in Japan, not anywhere in the world,” he stressed. “Affordable, high-quality network access needs to be unlimited in every sense of the word. We have a major imperative to deliver this to the people – starting with our network in Japan.”
On the Japan front, Mikitani shared an impressive report from Opensignal on Rakuten Mobile’s network experiences compared to the other major carriers. He also highlighted progress on Rakuten Mobile’s plan to connect subscribers on unmodified smartphones directly with satellites, achieving mobile coverage even during times of disaster and power outages.
Beyond Japan, Mikitani also announced a memorandum of understanding with global MNO VEON to help rebuild telecommunications infrastructure in Ukraine.
A mission to empower Japan
“In 1989, Japan’s economy was ranked as the most competitive in the world. Today, we rank 35th,” Mikitani lamented. “I started my career at the Industrial Bank of Japan in 1988. Back then, 14 of the top-valued companies in the world were Japanese. Now, unfortunately, there isn’t a single one.”
Rakuten has faced skepticism around its decision to enter the mobile market, but Mikitani showed steadfast commitment.
“A company needs to contribute to society. It needs a reason to exist in society,” he argued. “If Japan’s competitiveness is dwindling, what kind of impact can we impart on its economic revitalization?”
Ambitious undertakings like Rakuten Mobile are exactly what Japan needs.
“We are entering a challenging era. Around the world, we are facing climate change and conflict between Russia and Ukraine. At the same time, we have artificial intelligence promising to change the world,” Mikitani told the audience. “I believe that the world is changing – and we must take on bigger and bigger challenges.”
You can view Mikitani’s keynote address and other sessions from Rakuten Optimism 2023 here.
