Rakuten Announces Full-Scale Launch of Rakuten AI, Unveils Vision for Agentic Ecosystem
- Cutting-edge agentic AI tool Rakuten AI launches today on Rakuten Link; rollout on Rakuten Ichiba planned for Autumn 2025
- Rakuten AI also directly accessible through its own web app
Tokyo, July 30, 2025 - Rakuten Mobile, Inc. and Rakuten Group, Inc. today announced the full-scale launch of Rakuten AI, a new cutting-edge AI agent designed to enhance user experiences and streamline interactions across the Rakuten Ecosystem, as well as enrich and empower daily life. The initial rollout integrates Rakuten AI into Rakuten Link, the communication app for Rakuten Mobile subscribers, and offers Rakuten AI as a web app (beta), heralding the start of the Rakuten Agentic AI era. Rakuten AI is free of charge to use in all its forms*1, and rollout on Rakuten Ichiba is planned for Autumn 2025.
Rakuten AI is an essential gateway seamlessly integrated with the expansive Rakuten Ecosystem, spanning diverse sectors including shopping, lifestyle, fintech, travel, education, work, wellness and entertainment. In addition to Rakuten AI’s robust research and action capabilities, its deep Japanese Context Awareness is a key differentiator, enabling integration with local services through its comprehensive understanding of the Japanese language and culture, and delivering personalized experiences designed to foster lifelong happiness, success and fulfillment.
Moving forward, Rakuten AI will evolve into a force multiplier designed to decode intent, unify fragmented data and drive action. Users will gain instant access to the intelligence of thousands of experts to think faster, make better decisions and execute with the insight of an expert in every field.
Key features and benefits of Rakuten AI
Starting today, Rakuten AI is integrated into the Rakuten Link communication app for Rakuten Mobile subscribers. Originally launched as Rakuten Link AI in October 2024, the updated version empowers subscribers with AI chat and auto-generated prompts for effortless Rakuten Ecosystem searches*2. Users can conveniently input queries via text, voice-to-text conversion and image search, and choose from multiple AI-generated prompts for follow-up questions.
The Rakuten AI web app*3 is an innovative service designed to usher in a new era of humanized technology that aims to make every user feel seen, accepted and empowered in their digital interactions. Anyone with a Rakuten ID can use this version of Rakuten AI. It offers specialized AI skills, including AI chat, AI search with deep think, voice mode, translation, AI reading, coding, problem-solving and image creation. The future vision for Rakuten AI is to enable consumers to benefit from an agentic ecosystem.
Rakuten AI will roll out on Rakuten Ichiba in Autumn 2025 in the next step of the ongoing optimization and expansion of agentic AI within the Rakuten Ecosystem. Within Rakuten Ichiba, Rakuten AI will leverage integrated specialized agents and insights data including user attributes, preferences and purchasing trends to offer users personalized product recommendations.
Rakuten's vision for Agentic AI
Rakuten AI is a key component of Rakuten's vision for an Agentic Ecosystem which aims to create a hyper-personalized, intelligent and interconnected experience for users across the Rakuten Ecosystem. By harnessing agentic AI, Rakuten aims to empower users with intelligent orchestration of tasks across its core services, aligned with their unique preferences.
Rakuten AI is ideally positioned to lead the future of commerce on the agentic web. By optimizing for AI agents and offering seamless access both in-browser and within Rakuten apps, Rakuten AI will serve as the premier gateway to the Rakuten Ecosystem, connecting users directly to Rakuten services and beyond.
Ting Cai, Rakuten Group Chief AI & Data Officer, commented, “The launch of Rakuten AI represents a significant step forward in our AI strategy. By seamlessly integrating Rakuten AI into all of our core services, starting with Rakuten Link today and Rakuten Ichiba later this autumn, we are empowering users to express themselves and get more things done in less time, from complex research to immediate actions. Intelligent and personalized, Rakuten AI transforms the way users interact with services. This is a key element in realizing our vision for an Agentic Ecosystem, where AI agents drive deeper engagement and create even greater value for our customers and partners."
Rakuten leverages its AI transformation, or "AI-nization" initiative, to promote the use of AI in all aspects of business to achieve further growth. Going forward, the company will continuously improve and expand the capabilities of Rakuten AI, expanding its support to encompass even more of the Rakuten Ecosystem.
Rakuten AI for Rakuten Link
iOS devices:
https://apps.apple.com/jp/app/rakuten-link/id1498877539
Android devices*:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.co.rakuten.mobile.rcs&pcampaignid=web_share
*This Rakuten Link update is available now for iOS devices, and will be available for Android devices in the near future.
Rakuten AI web app (open Beta)
https://ai.rakuten.co.jp/
Notes
*1 The Rakuten AI web app requires a Rakuten ID to log in and use without restrictions. Those without a Rakuten ID will have a limited number of inputs before the system requires the user to log in. Usage limits may change in the future.
*2 Rakuten AI on Rakuten Link currently supports Rakuten Ichiba, Rakuten Rakuma, Rakuten Books and Rakuten Fashion services. This Rakuten Link update is available now for iOS devices, and will be available for Android devices in the near future.
*3 Rakuten AI has been available in open Beta since November 2024 as “Rakuten AI Assistant.”