CyberAgent's AI Leap

Japanese internet giant CyberAgent is demonstrating a potent model for Generative AI for business operations, embedding tools like ChatGPT Enterprise and Codex across its diverse businesses. The company reports a remarkable 93% monthly active usage rate for ChatGPT Enterprise, achieved through strategic culture building rather than top-down mandates.

CyberAgent views AI not as a temporary trend but as foundational technology. Its investments, including the 2016 establishment of an AI Lab and the 2023 launch of an AI Operations Office, underscore this commitment. This approach aims to boost quality and productivity simultaneously, enabling rapid hypothesis testing crucial for its advertising, media, and gaming sectors.

Secure AI Adoption Without Hesitation

The rapid expansion of AI use following ChatGPT's release in 2022 highlighted the need for robust security and governance. Uncertainty around data input risks had previously slowed adoption. ChatGPT Enterprise addressed this by offering enterprise-grade security and management features, allowing employees to use AI confidently while internal guidelines prevent the input of confidential data.

“With enterprise features such as account management and visibility into usage, ChatGPT Enterprise made it possible to support business use of a wide range of information, excluding confidential data,” stated Ken Takao, Manager in CyberAgent’s Data Technology Department. “As a result, the scope of AI use across the company has expanded, and many employees now use it in their daily work.”

Organic Growth Fueled by Culture and Support

CyberAgent's AI adoption spread organically. Teams independently evaluated and integrated tools based on their objectives, leading to near-universal departmental use. This organic growth was nurtured by proactive culture-building initiatives, including knowledge sharing of prompts and use cases, and internal usage rankings.

A unique Slack bot follow-up mechanism engages employees who haven't used AI tools recently, identifying barriers and offering support. This is complemented by extensive training sessions and workshops from OpenAI, ranging from introductory courses to hands-on coding and hackathons, tailored for various roles and skill levels.

Codex Enhances Decision-Making and Speed

Beyond code generation, CyberAgent is leveraging Codex for upstream tasks like design review, code analysis, and documentation. This improves design quality and accelerates alignment before implementation, reducing rework. Non-developer roles are also adopting Codex for tasks like writing specifications and structuring workflows.

Developers report that Codex enhances judgment quality, acting as a reliable partner throughout the development lifecycle. This boosts confidence, enabling teams to move faster and achieve both speed and quality, even in unfamiliar technical areas. This mirrors the broader trend of AI adoption in Japanese companies and the potential for tools like these in the AI for media and entertainment industry.

CyberAgent sees AI as a fundamental shift, integrating it deeply into workflows and redesigning how work gets done.