Responsible AI
Rakuten's Approach
At Rakuten, AI technology is extensively utilized across various businesses. To enjoy the benefits of AI technology while providing stakeholders with healthy internet services, establishing a robust governance structure is essential. We prioritize the protection and management of personal and confidential information, including our customers' personal data, when inputting it into AI systems such as generative AI. We are dedicated to maintaining the fairness of rapidly evolving AI technologies and continuously improving their quality. Specifically, our approach to responsible AI involves creating a secure environment guided by the following model:
Management System
In Rakuten, our approach to managing and supervising AI involves three key programs: AI governance, AI research & development, AI security & safety, public relations & public policy, and data utilization.
Within these programs, we actively engage in discussions that cover everything from training our employees to the development and implementation of AI, focusing on identifying challenges and shaping future policies. The outcomes of these discussions, including proposals and decisions, are reported to the AI & Data Committee. Moreover, key decisions and challenges are regularly reported to the Board of Directors and Corporate Management Meeting, ensuring transparency and accountability in our AI governance.
AI Code of Ethics
In 2023, Rakuten began drafting its Code of Ethics. It was released July 2024 and is designed to establish ethical standards for the development, operation and application of AI, ensuring that we offer trustworthy services to our users. By setting out comprehensive rules, Rakuten is committed to driving technological innovation while safeguarding individual rights and privacy, and promoting the use of AI in a manner that is fair, equitable and transparent.
Rakuten Group AI Code of Ethics
At Rakuten Group, we recognize the immense potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the transformative impact it can have on our society, and we are committed to ensuring that Rakuten AI is developed, tested, deployed, and used in a responsible manner. Our approach is rooted in Principles of Rakuten Shugi (Rakuten Basic Principles) and Rakuten Group Code of Ethics – which champions universal human principles like fairness, respect, sustainability, transparency, and lawfulness. We live these values while remaining fully compliant with Rakuten Group Regulations including Security and Privacy.
We will continuously evolve the AI code of ethics, listening to feedbacks, and aiming to shape the future of responsible AI through collaboration with global stakeholders.
- Principle #1: We obey today’s laws, and help shape tomorrow’s
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First and foremost, we obey all applicable laws and regulations worldwide, and maintain high ethical standards. In our pursuit of a just society, we use AI to more efficiently oppose criminal organizations and illegal or morally questionable activities.
We are committed to being an active partner for lawmakers, helping them understand current and future applications, opportunities, and potential risks of AI technology, and collaborating to craft laws that not only address today’s needs, but anticipate and proactively address tomorrow’s needs.
- Principle #2: We design AI systems that empower humanity
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Rakuten Group is promoting the use of AI with the worldview that technology is a tool that augments human creativity and ingenuity. Our AI systems are designed to advance this commitment and are built to serve as a useful, trustworthy companion for employees as they do their jobs, for partners as they grow their businesses, and for customers as they navigate their daily lives.
- Principle #3: We do not compromise on safety
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Our approach to AI development and operation ensures that every model we build, every dataset we collect, and every service we deploy is rigorously defined, developed, tested, and monitored to be as safe, secure, and reliable as possible.
Throughout the entire process, we ensure the safety of all those involved in producing and delivering our AI services
- Principle #4: We are committed to reliability and fairness
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Reliability is the bedrock on which customer and partner satisfaction is built. We work to ensure our AI tools deliver trustworthy, consistent, high-quality results every single time they are used.
We believe that everyone should be treated fairly, and all AI systems should be fair and unbiased.
We rigorously protect our data and are committed to using it to create AI systems that are free from unfair biases, discrimination, and prejudice.
- Principle #5: We build trust through transparency
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Transparency is core to building trust with our valued customers and stakeholders. We are committed to providing clear and understandable explanations about how our AI models are developed, tested, and deployed across our products and services, and work with suppliers to ensure they do the same. We are transparent about how we collect and use customer data and make it easy for users to have control over what data they want to share.
To put our principles into action, we establish governance structure, and we are committed to foster a culture of developing and using AI responsibly.
AI Operational Guidelines
Furthermore, Rakuten has also developed internal guidelines for AI use. These guidelines outline the key principles that should be adhered to when utilizing AI, including use cases for AI services and guidelines for implementing these services in our business operations. Together with other principles, these guidelines aim to serve as a roadmap for our employees to engage with AI responsibly.
Employee Education
To enhance understanding and awareness of the ethical use of AI within the company, we actively disseminate information through presentations at Asakai, our morning meetings attended by all employees, and through the digital signage within our offices. Additionally, in 2023, we conducted training on the guidelines for using AI, which was attended by all employees across the Group. We will continue to disseminate information and educate our employees.