On December 23, Rakuten Group, now steered by a seasoned expert from Google, is aggressively ramping up its AI division, with a keen emphasis on developing AI models that are both powerful and cost-effective. Ting Cai, who has helmed the artificial intelligence team at this e-commerce behemoth for three years, is tasked with crafting AI solutions that not only bolster the company's diverse business ventures but also facilitate commercial transactions at minimal costs. Presently, the team under his leadership has burgeoned to 1,000 talented individuals, wielding a formidable computing power arsenal comprising 'thousands' of NVIDIA chips.

Amid challenges in its mobile operations and fierce rivalry in the online shopping sphere, Rakuten Group leveraged its AI prowess to secure an operating profit of 10.5 billion yen (roughly $67 million) in 2024. The company is now poised to double this revenue figure in the current year. The deployment of intelligent ad targeting and delivery mechanisms has substantially elevated the return on investment for Rakuten's online merchants. Meanwhile, AI-powered semantic search capabilities and personalized recommendation engines have further deepened user engagement and boosted click-through rates.