Rakuten partners with OpenAI to deliver AI Experiences

Japan’s Rakuten Group has signed a deal with OpenAI to deliver conversational artificial intelligence (AI) experiences to consumers and businesses worldwide.

The two companies will explore cases together to transform the way consumers shop and engage with businesses while enhancing productivity for merchants and business partners in Japan and globally.

Rakuten operates Japan’s largest online shopping mall and offers a diverse portfolio of services spanning e-commerce, fintech, digital content and telecommunications. OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company which aims to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity.

The company will integrate the tech outfit’s AI services into their products and services, OpenAI will also provide Rakuten with priority access and support to its APIs and explore mutually beneficial commercial opportunities.

Additionally, Rakuten is to bring its AI experiences into ChatGPT products by leveraging the OpenAI plugin architecture, enabling businesses to use natural language for interacting with AI agents that conduct research, analyse data, optimise inventory, pricing, automate business processes and more.

In a statement Rakuten said, “This collaboration presents an opportunity for elevating the online services landscape and delivering new breakthroughs for business customers in combination with OpenAI’s pioneering AI capabilities. By leveraging Rakuten’s unique data, channels and operations with the cutting-edge technology, the two companies hope to bring value to millions of people in Japan and even more worldwide.”