TLDR: Rakuten Group has officially launched ‘Rakuten AI,’ a new cutting-edge AI agent designed to enhance user experiences and streamline interactions across its vast ecosystem. This marks the beginning of the ‘Rakuten Agentic AI era,’ with initial integration into Rakuten Link and a web app beta. The company plans further rollout on Rakuten Ichiba by Autumn 2025, aiming to leverage AI for personalized recommendations and broader business transformation.
Tokyo, Japan – August 1, 2025 – Rakuten Group, Inc. and Rakuten Mobile, Inc. have announced the full-scale launch of ‘Rakuten AI,’ a groundbreaking artificial intelligence agent poised to revolutionize user engagement across the extensive Rakuten Ecosystem. This strategic move signals Rakuten’s deep commitment to ‘agentic AI,’ a paradigm where AI systems autonomously plan and execute tasks, moving beyond traditional AI applications.
The initial deployment of Rakuten AI sees its integration into Rakuten Link, the communication application for Rakuten Mobile subscribers, and is also available as a free web app in beta. This foundational rollout is set to be followed by a significant expansion into Rakuten Ichiba, the company’s flagship e-commerce platform, by Autumn 2025. Within Rakuten Ichiba, Rakuten AI will utilize specialized agents and comprehensive data, including user attributes, preferences, and purchasing trends, to deliver highly personalized product recommendations.
Rakuten AI offers a diverse suite of specialized AI skills, including AI chat, advanced AI search with ‘deep think’ capabilities, voice mode, translation services, AI reading, coding assistance, problem-solving, and image creation. The overarching vision for Rakuten AI is to cultivate an ‘agentic ecosystem’ that seamlessly integrates across Rakuten’s varied sectors, encompassing shopping, lifestyle, fintech, travel, education, work, wellness, and entertainment.
The company’s focus on AI was prominently showcased at the ‘Rakuten AI Optimism 2025’ event, held from July 30 to August 1 at Pacifico Yokohama. This event, which has been redefined with an increased emphasis on AI, featured discussions on the ‘Agentic Revolution’ in AI. Leaders such as Ting Cai, Rakuten Chief AI & Data Officer, and Taku Okoshi, Executive Officer, Director of the AI Services Supervisory Department at Rakuten, highlighted how agentic AI is transforming product management and development cycles. Caitlin Cai, Head of Product at the AI Lab, Rakuten Asia, emphasized that emerging AI tools are democratizing creativity across the organization, providing a powerful toolkit for product development managers, regardless of their technical background.
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Rakuten views AI as a fundamental component of its future business strategy, encapsulated in its ‘AI-nization’ initiative. This initiative aims to leverage AI technology to transform operations, services, and user experiences across the entire business portfolio, making advanced AI tools accessible and empowering for both consumers and businesses. The company’s forward-thinking agenda on agentic AI is expected to position Rakuten as a leader in the global AI revolution, fostering innovation, efficiency, and inclusivity through the synergistic collaboration of artificial intelligence and human ingenuity.
