TLDR: Rakuten and Optus have independently launched new agentic AI platforms, marking a significant step in their respective AI strategies. Rakuten AI aims to personalize user experiences across its vast ecosystem, while Optus Expert AI is designed to empower frontline staff with real-time intelligence for improved customer service.
In a significant stride towards advanced artificial intelligence integration, both Japanese conglomerate Rakuten Group and Australian telecommunications provider Optus have recently unveiled their new agentic AI solutions. These launches, occurring around July 30, 2025, underscore a growing industry trend towards leveraging AI for enhanced operational efficiency and personalized user interactions.
Rakuten Group, alongside Rakuten Mobile, announced the full-scale launch of ‘Rakuten AI,’ a cutting-edge agentic AI platform. This initiative is a core component of Rakuten’s broader ‘AI-nization’ strategy, which seeks to accelerate AI adoption across all its business operations. The new AI assistant is currently integrated into the Rakuten Link communication app for Rakuten Mobile subscribers and is also available as a standalone web app in beta. Rakuten AI is designed to enhance user experiences across Rakuten’s extensive digital services, which span e-commerce, fintech, travel, education, wellness, and entertainment. A key differentiator highlighted by Rakuten is its ‘deep Japanese Context Awareness,’ enabling personalized experiences through a comprehensive understanding of the Japanese language and culture. The company plans to expand Rakuten AI to its flagship e-commerce marketplace, Rakuten Ichiba, in Autumn 2025, where it will offer tailored product recommendations based on user attributes, preferences, and purchasing trends. Rakuten’s vision is to create an ‘Agentic Ecosystem’ where intelligent AI agents orchestrate tasks and generate greater value, ultimately empowering users with intelligent orchestration of tasks across its core services, aligned with their unique preferences.
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Concurrently, Optus has introduced ‘Optus Expert AI,’ an agentic AI solution specifically developed to assist its frontline staff with real-time intelligence. Built using Google Cloud’s Agent Assist from its Customer Engagement Suite, Optus Expert AI leverages advanced generative and agentic AI capabilities. This system analyzes live customer conversations across various channels in real time, providing contextual guidance, summarizing insights, suggesting optimal next actions and responses, and executing tasks across multiple backend systems to resolve customer needs. Jesse Arundell, Optus’ Head of AI Solutions and Strategy, stated, ‘The results reaffirm the value of equipping our people with AI tools that enhance confidence, clarity, and connection in every interaction. By augmenting our people with AI, we’re amplifying them, providing real-time insight, guidance and actions for faster, smarter and truly streamlined customer care.’ Paul Migliorini, VP of Google Cloud Australia and New Zealand, added that Google Cloud’s AI enables Optus to not only drive customers to solutions more quickly but also equip their frontline teams with the insights and tools needed to deliver a consistently superior and responsible service experience. Optus has been leveraging AI for over five years, investing in next-generation technologies to make a tangible difference for both customers and employees.
