OpenAI Expands to Japan with New Tokyo Office and Custom GPT-4 Model
“Japan’s rich history of people and technology coming together to do more is a driving force behind our decision to establish a formal presence in the region,” says OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
OpenAI, the mastermind behind ChatGPT, has announced plans to open its first office in Asia in the bustling city of Tokyo. This will mark the fourth global location for the renowned AI company, following its headquarters in San Francisco and offices in London and Dublin. The expansion was motivated by Japan’s status as a leader in humanoid robotics and other AI-driven hardware, as well as its current role as chair of the G7 and host of the Hiroshima AI Process, which focuses on AI safety and governance.
The decision to establish OpenAI’s presence in Japan was made after CEO Sam Altman’s world tour last year, during which he met with Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Altman expressed OpenAI’s intentions to open an office in Japan, citing the country’s impressive advancements and accomplishments in the tech field.
Leading the Tokyo office will be Tadao Nagasaki, who brings 12 years of experience from Amazon Web Services (AWS), where he worked as Head of Amazon’s cloud computing division in the region. With Nagasaki at the helm, OpenAI Japan plans to expand its business and establish a strong team dedicated to providing top-notch AI services to clients in the country.
Already, OpenAI’s enterprise-focused version of ChatGPT has attracted major Japanese companies such as Daikin, Rakuten, and Toyota. This version includes additional options for privacy, data analysis, and customization, making it a valuable tool for businesses.
But the latest development from OpenAI has Japanese businesses especially excited. The company has optimized its newest version of GPT, the Large Language Model (LLM), to better understand and accommodate nuances within the Japanese language. This includes cultural comprehension, which makes it an even more effective tool for business settings like customer service and content creation. While OpenAI holds a prominent position in the AI realm, it will face competition from SoftBank’s recently launched SB Intuitions, which aims to develop and utilize Large Language Models and generative AI services in Japanese.
Additionally, OpenAI boasts improved performance with its custom GPT-4 model, promising faster and more cost-effective results compared to its predecessor. Early access to the model is currently available to select Japanese businesses, with gradual rollout to the public via the OpenAI API expected in the upcoming months.
