Fujitsu Takes Systematic Approach to Artificial Intelligence with "Human Centric AI Zinrai"

Tokyo, November 02, 2015

Fujitsu today announced that it is taking its knowledge and technologies for artificial intelligence, cultivated for over 30 years, and structuring them as Human Centric AI Zinrai, which will be incorporated into a range of products and services.

Zinrai brings together and systematizes the fields of sensing and recognition, knowledge processing, and decision making and support, as well as the learning and other AI-related technologies and knowledge generated by Fujitsu's R&D that work to refine and grow these areas.

Fujitsu will provide this technology in the form of a consulting service that utilizes AI to support dedicated consultants who will be able to use it to bring about business transformation and innovation. Working to promote this is the "AI Application Consulting Department," which was established on November 1. Moving forward, Zinrai will appear in a range of applications and middleware, and other products and services. As Zinrai's first use, a new service being developed that uses Zinrai's machine-learning technology is FUJITSU Business Application Operational-Data Management & Analytics (ODMA), a solution that uses big data. Zinrai technology will also be made available as a service using the FUJITSU Digital Business Platform MetaArc.

Fujitsu views AI as an important technology for improving people's everyday lives and society as a whole. Along with ongoing technological developments, Fujitsu is applying it to a variety of sectors to transform and create new businesses.

Background

In recent years, customers have seen dramatically growing needs for ICT in transforming the front lines of their businesses and creating innovative new businesses, and AI in particular has been an area of interest in that regard.

The Fujitsu Group, particularly Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd., has actively pursued the deployment of AI since the 1980s. These efforts have culminated in Zinrai, which systematizes all the company's AI-related technology and knowledge.

Zinrai is based on knowledge and experience from cutting-edge research, with functions for sensing and recognition, knowledge processing, decision making and support, and for each of these, the learning functions that refine and encourage growth. The Fujitsu Group will be enhancing the role of AI in all types of ICT environments to improve people's everyday lives and society as a whole.

About Zinrai

Zinrai brings together the AI technologies of the Fujitsu Group, taking into account the knowledge gained from various areas, including research into neuroscience where big developments are expected to arise, research into raising social acceptability when AI is introduced into people's lives and society, and the knowledge and experience gained from cutting-edge research on supercomputer simulations, as well as the connecting relationships between each of these elements. It represents more than 100 patented technologies⁽¹⁾ that will enrich people's daily lives and society on the whole. There are three building blocks which through learning technology will improve and develop.

1. Sensing and recognition

Just as people use their five senses, Zinrai incorporates sensory-media technologies that can process people's feelings, recognition, and consideration.

Example applications: wire-fraud detection, automating better customer service by understanding human emotions.

2. Knowledge processing

This is a cognitive technology that not only understands people, but can also create knowledge for mechanical processes.

Example applications: Medical decision-making support, improved financial supervisions.

3. Decision and support

This is a mathematical technology for numerically deciding public or business questions using a supercomputer.

Example applications: Mitigating air traffic, simulating tsunami flooding.

Fujitsu plans to implement Zinrai as a part of other products and services in the future, bringing AI to cloud environments and on-premise environments.

Past achievements by the Fujitsu Group

In the 30 years since introducing the FACOM α⁽²⁾, Japan's first AI computer which was made commercially available in 1985, the Fujitsu Group has continuously pursued R&D toward implementing AI.

More recently, in September 2012, the company took part in the math team working on the AI project "Can a robot be admitted to Tokyo University?"⁽³⁾ sponsored by the National Institute of Informatics⁽⁴⁾. In October 2013, the decision & decision support function that is an element of Zinrai achieved a score in roughly the 60th percentile of test takers on a mock Tokyo University entrance exam⁽⁵⁾. The team aims to crack the test by 2021, by which time the AI's knowledge will be more complete, and there will have been additional progress on automating the understanding of syntax and context.

In August 2013, integrating the sensing and recognition function with the learning function led to the development of a handwriting-recognition technology based on Deep Learning, the latest neural-network technology, which is modeled on the organization of neurons in the brain. In September 2015, this achieved a recognition rate with handwritten Chinese of 96.7%, exceeding human levels⁽⁶⁾.

As this shows, Zinrai's building blocks have already been put to use in a variety of fields. Today, by systematizing them and clarifying their fields of application, Fujitsu aims to further accelerate the deployment of AI to benefit people and society as a whole.

New service-based solutions

AI Application Consulting

Fujitsu is providing consulting services that utilize AI, working with customers to create innovation through proofs-of-concept and operational trials. In this service, AI-specialist consultants will survey a customer's managerial issues and needs, and propose optimized AI-augmented scenarios using Zinrai technology, with the goal of innovating together with the customer.

To provide this service, Fujitsu formed a new department on November 1, the AI Application Consulting Department, with 200 AI researchers, engineers, and curators from throughout the Fujitsu Group. The company plans to expand this department gradually as the AI business grows.

Future plans
Operational-Data Management & Analytics Predictive Supervision

ODMA, which uses big data, already implements the machine-learning parts of Zinrai. ODMA Predictive Supervision, which is currently under development, will accurately predict abnormalities in hardware and services. With this service, factories that use IoT technology will be able to take advantage of autonomous equipment maintenance to further improve operational continuity, supporting more efficient business overall. ODMA will be providing solutions that implement Zinrai on an ongoing basis, and Fujitsu plans to improve its products in order to expand the scope of AI applications.

Endorsement

Dr. Setsuo Arikawa, Emeritus Professor and former president, Kyushu University: "Artificial intelligence, which relates closely to our original research "Discovery Science," is garnering enormous expectations and attention. Fujitsu possesses a wealth of knowledge on artificial intelligence, and concentrates and grows its technology to develop the original products and services that make for better lifestyles. Fujitsu is a leading presence in this particular field."

Pricing and Availability

Pricing and Availability

Service name	Retail price (tax excl.)	Availability date
AI Application Consulting	By quotation	December 2015

Sales targets

A total of JPY 50 billion for all Zinrai-related solutions by fiscal 2018.

For more information

• Fujitsu Big Data
• MetaArc Digital Business Platform