Interview03
Software Development Engineer
Joined in April 2002
Y.K
Software Development Engineer
Joined in April 2002
Y.K.
Although I had initially studied AI technology as a hobby, it became my job before I knew it. When I first joined the company, I was seconded to a group company to develop software. After returning to our company, I was put in charge of management. I have always enjoyed acquiring new skills, so I studied AI and Python as a hobby while working on my management duties.
At that time, our company did not have a department specializing in AI. Therefore, I would answer technical questions about AI as an extension of my work. However, about two years ago, the trend of promoting digital transformation began and AI started to attract attention. As a result, the ID Group established a department specializing in AI. I had been advising my supervisors and senior employees on the potential and appeal of AI. My efforts paid off and I was appointed as the leader of the new AI department.
When launching the department, we started by forming a small team of about a dozen members. We recruited members who were studying AI on their own or who were interested in AI. However, we had not yet reached the point of providing services that utilize AI to customers. Therefore, we started by creating a simple solution while studying, and developed a dialogue-based AI chatbot product called “ID Concierge.
We released a trial version in-house in May 2023. It was first tried by users around the end of October of the same year. Initially, we released it as an in-house version, and then made repeated upgrades based on feedback on functionality and usability. As a result, we found that even if customers introduce AI, there is a high probability of them saying that they are unsure of how to use AI. Therefore, going forward, we would like to propose offering courses for users on how to make effective use of AI.
I try to be proactive engage in opportunities for learning about AI outside of the company. For example, I participated in a presentation contest held as part of Manabi DX Quest, which is a program operated by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Information-technology Promotion Agency (IPA) . It is very useful for my work to make acquaintances outside the company and learn presentation techniques from consultants. Incidentally, I won first place in the contest for two consecutive years, last year and this year.
Going forward, I would like to lay the foundation for further AI development and enhance our team into an even more solid organization. Personally, my interest in AI keeps growing, so I hope to continue working with AI. I would like to maintain excitement in my work by continuing to incorporate new technologies from other fields. The IT industry is constantly changing, so I would like to keep my ears open to gather information from various sources.
