Rakuten Technology Conference 2025: Charting the future of AI-nization with U
On November 15, 2025, Rakuten Technology Conference set sail for its newest edition, turning Rakuten’s Tokyo HQ, along with satellite hubs across Asia and the U.S., into a vibrant port of innovation and AI-driven exploration.
As with every year, the engineer-led event welcomed a global community of tech leaders, researchers, and enthusiasts to dive into immersive demos, dynamic stage sessions and hands-on booths designed to inspire future innovators.
Guided by this year’s theme, “AI-nization with U,” the conference showcased how Rakuten continues to navigate the future of AI, ensuring that the benefits of intelligent technology, such as agentic AI, are accessible to anyone and everyone.
Driving the global AI revolution
Rakuten Group Chairman and CEO Mickey Mikitani kicked off the event off with an inspiring keynote, emphasizing the company’s ongoing journey to become the world’s leading AI empowerment company. Mikitani shed light on a variety of Rakuten’s AI services, underscoring the company’s commitment to making AI accessible for all – the very essence of this year’s conference theme.
Among numerous fascinating sessions, a panel discussion titled “Rakuten AI & Google Powering the Next Generation of Autonomous Agents” was a highlight. Hamidou Dia, Vice President of Applied AI Engineering at Google LLC, joined Rakuten’s Director of the AI Services Supervisory Department, Taku Okoshi. Dia discussed Google’s “Paradigm shifts of AI,” emphasizing that advances in multimodality are driving the development of physical agents. He highlighted Google’s goal of developing models for robots that businesses can leverage. Okoshi, in turn, explored the possibilities of further AI development through the collaboration between Google and Rakuten services.
Securing AI through collective ownership
In the session titled “Securing AI for a Trusted Tomorrow,” Tiju Johnson, Principal Architect of Cisco Systems, Inc., and Rakuten’s Vice General Manager of the Cyber Security Defense Department, Nagayasu Kano, emphasized that AI is no longer merely a tool but an integral part of modern businesses and customer experiences. Both speakers stressed the urgent need to protect communities and secure AI in a rapidly evolving technological landscape, agreeing that “collective ownership” and concerted effort are essential for realizing a secure future together.
Ting Cai, Rakuten’s Chief AI & Data Officer concluded the sessions with a presentation highlighting Rakuten’s vision for an agentic future, where advanced AI assistants are integrated across services to personalize experiences and improve efficiency. He emphasized Rakuten’s commitment to both building and partnering with AI to lead Japan’s AI innovation.
Celebrating innovation and community
The conference culminated in the Rakuten Technology Excellence Awards, an annual celebration honoring individuals and organizations that push the boundaries of technological development. This year’s awards recognized contributions that embody the collaborative spirit and forward-looking vision of “AI-nization with U,” with three outstanding contributors honored:
Arisa Ema, Ph.D., Fumiko Kudo, J.D., and Toshiya Jitsuzumi, D.Sc.: Recognized for their significant contributions to raising awareness of international AI governance, as part of the Hiroshima AI Process.
Ampere Computing LLC: A semiconductor design company acknowledged for developing a platform that enables interoperability and flexibility while reducing time to market.
Kotoba Technologies, Inc.: Celebrated for its innovations in technologies that are increasingly vital for the future of agentic AI including speech generation, translation and language.
Together, their achievements reflect the shared commitment to innovation and community that anchors the conference each year.
Building creative minds at the Kids Park
Families once again gathered at the Kids Park, where this year’s conference introduced an expanded lineup of creative tech activities designed to inspire curiosity, creativity and a lifelong love of innovation in children of all ages.
Continuing its tradition, the Rakuten Robot Club returned with its immersive booth, offering future tech enthusiasts the opportunity to learn about robotics and AI.
A new and popular addition this year was the Rakuten AI photobooth collaboration with flower arranging. Participants crafted beautiful small-pot flower bouquets and then had their snapshots taken within the AI photo booth. With the support of generative AI, these photos were transformed into personalized masterpieces, creating lasting memories
The Rakuten Tech Conference 2025 truly embodied the “AI-nization with U” theme, showcasing how intelligent technology, developed and embraced together, will continue to shape a brighter tomorrow.
