NTT is not just your average technology and business solutions provider. With over $110 billion in revenue, sales teams in 70 countries, and more than 100,000 enterprise customers across all industries, NTT is a global powerhouse. At a recent industry event, NeuralNation had the opportunity to sit down with Takashi Hiroi, the CFO and Senior EVP of NTT Corporation, to discuss how NTT is revolutionizing the world of generative AI and supporting both consumers and enterprise customers. We delved into the challenges of gen AI adoption and the crucial role that partnership and collaboration play in staying competitive.
While NTT is still in the early stages of exploring the potential of generative AI, Hiroi revealed that they have already made significant strides. They have introduced AI-powered marketing data services, developed COTOHA, an automated translation and summarization service, and even created a ChatGPT solution for a Spanish pharmaceutical company to help medical professionals quickly and accurately analyze large medical documents.
Crucial considerations around gen AI adoption
Generative AI may be the shiny new toy in town, but Hiroi emphasized the importance of taking a customer-centric approach. Before integrating AI solutions, it is crucial to help customers identify and understand their problems or areas for improvement. This approach aligns perfectly with NTT’s conventional systems integration practices.
Another crucial consideration is the cost of AI services. Hiroi acknowledged that establishing competitive pricing models for AI will remain complex. He stated, “Pricing of AI, that’s going to be very complicated. I don’t right now have a clear vision to formulate the price of AI, but gradually the price of AI will be determined by how much value that AI brings in.”
Furthermore, Vab Goel, founding partner of NTTVC and board member of NTT DATA, highlighted the importance of considering the high compute and energy requirements of AI deployment. Every AI initiative requires a careful balance between the value it brings and the upfront costs. Additionally, organizations must address power consumption and explore renewable energy solutions, which have become urgent considerations for CTOs.
Why collaboration is so important
NTT understands that collaboration is the key to success in the AI landscape. That’s why they have adopted a collaborative approach with venture capital companies and early-stage startups. Goel emphasized the need to look beyond the perceived leaders and partner with early-stage companies, shaping their vision and gaining a competitive advantage.
Moreover, turning the cost of AI into a profit is crucial. Goel stated, “Meeting a lot of startup companies and taking some risks is going to be critical. It’s pretty clear that it’s going to be a partnership of large companies and small companies that will be the winning formula.” NTT’s diverse portfolio and track record of working with early-stage companies make them an exciting player in this space.
While gen AI startups may be raising funds left and right, it’s important to learn from the past. Many analytics and SaaS companies raised huge amounts of money but are now struggling as the market cycle changes. Go-to-market partnerships are critical for startup companies, and finding large companies to introduce them to others and build services around them is key. NTT’s ability to take risks on early-stage companies and go to market with them is what sets them apart.
The Japanese technology giant NTT has long been at the forefront of innovation, exploring and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with information and communications technology. Now, NTT is looking ahead to the future of artificial intelligence (AI) adoption and exploring ways of accelerating the development of the technology. At the core of this effort is collaboration – bringing together partners from the industry, academia, and government to work together in pioneering what’s next in AI.
AI has quickly become one of the most talked-about technology concepts in recent years, and slowly but surely, it’s being integrated into everyday life. Companies in many sectors are beginning to integrate AI into their systems, processes, and products. NTT understands the critical role that AI adoption has to play in supporting societies and economies the world over, and is looking to accelerate this process.
The company has adopted a vision for collaborative AI innovation, backed by cutting-edge research and development. NTT is focused on enabling collaboration between all the players that matter in AI: technology companies, innovators, developers, entrepreneurs, researchers, and government organizations. NTT is committed to helping organizations collaborate on building out the future of AI, from developing use cases to helping foster wider adoption across all industries.
Through its AI Hub initiative, NTT is creating a platform to connect players in the AI space, providing both technical and managerial support. This platform consists of state-of-the-art open innovation platforms, user-friendly tools, and industry-leading consulting services – all backed by the extensive power of NTT’s global research and development network.
NTT is also looking to collaborate with global organizations with the aim of driving AI innovation forward. The company has already begun to partner with organizations such as the Open Data Institute, Stanford University, and the World Economic Forum to help further the development of AI and its adoption by the wider public. This collaboration is designed to push the boundaries of AI and accelerate the journey of innovation for all involved.
The power of AI is already being felt in many industries, and it is clear that it has the potential to shape the future of technology, business, and society. With its vision for AI collaboration, NTT is looking to harness the power of partnerships to create a brighter future for us all.
By teaming up with industry leaders, innovators, and partners from all fields, NTT is paving the way for the rapid adoption of AI technology. This is part of a bigger, global effort to ensure that AI technologies are effectively integrated into future developments and integrated systems.
With this vision, NTT is intent on speeding up the development of AI, ensuring that it remains accessible and available to those who need it most. As NTT continues to pursue its vision, the role of collaboration in driving the future of AI innovation cannot be understated.
