Rakuten taps OpenAI as strategic partner, unveils new “Rakuten AI for Business” platform
Companies around the globe are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to improve business operations, streamline customer service and drive growth. But to truly transform the way industries operate, AI must be more than cutting-edge tech. It must be convenient to use; secure on the edge, wire and cloud; and ideally, include exclusive data or features that provide a unique competitive advantage.
Enter Rakuten AI for Business, a new AI platform to be provided by Rakuten and powered by OpenAI.
Bringing cutting-edge innovation to businesses
“This platform helps to make AI truly useful, for companies of any size, in any industry,” explained Ting Cai, Rakuten Group Chief Data Officer, in a video shared today along with the announcement that Rakuten has selected OpenAI as a strategic AI partner and collaborator on its “Rakuten AI for Business” platform.
The new platform will support a variety of essential business functions, including marketing, sales, customer support, operations, strategy planning and engineering. Rakuten AI for Business features include Rakuten AI Analyst, which answers complex business questions with organized data, compelling charts and actionable insights, Rakuten AI Agent, which assists professionals in real-time to help provide better, faster, smarter customer service, and Rakuten AI Librarian, which synthesizes and summarizes all of the client’s documentation to answer questions from customers in seconds.
“Our vision for Rakuten AI for Business centers on our commitment to making AI a force for good that augments humanity, drives productivity and fosters prosperity. OpenAI has pioneered Generative AI technology and I am extremely excited about this collaboration to bring cutting-edge innovation to businesses,” added Cai.
Brad Lightcap, OpenAI Chief Operating Officer, commented, “We are thrilled to partner with Rakuten to bring the power of AI to online experiences in Japan and beyond. We look forward to delivering meaningful solutions for business customers.”
Unique aspects of Rakuten AI for Business
Convenient: Provides a conversational interface on smartphones, tablets and other devices that are easily accessible anytime, anywhere.
Secure: Confidential data stays secure end-to-end on the edge, on the wire through Rakuten internet services, and in the data center with Rakuten’s cloud solutions.
Exclusive: Rakuten AI for Business leverages 25+ years of deep domain knowledge and unique data – combined with OpenAI’s cutting-edge prowess – to provide unique insight to customers.
AI-nization takes over Rakuten Technology Conference 2023
“AI-nization” will be the theme of this year’s Rakuten Technology Conference, which is set to take place on Saturday, November 18. The free, tech-focused event, will bring together business leaders, engineers, researchers and tech enthusiasts from across the globe, including Cai, to explore the future horizons of generative AI on the technology landscape. Talks and discussions will delve into the future of technology intertwined with AI and its potential to drive innovation across various domains, including cloud computing, e-commerce, fintech and mobile technology.
To learn more about Rakuten Technology Conference 2023, visit the event page here and be sure to register in advance to be a part of the conversation.
Read more about Rakuten’s partnership with OpenAI and the launch of Rakuten AI for Business here.
