Use of Artificial Intelligence
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Background and Issues
Konica Minolta’s management vision is “Imaging to the People,” and the Company has been striving toward two goals: “Support people to achieve their own purpose” and “Realize a sustainable society.” To achieve this vision, the Company has been actively using AI in the development of products and services, as well as in its corporate activities, including R&D, manufacturing and sales.
Introduction to AI-based Technologies
On the other hand, the inappropriate use of AI can cause various problems, including privacy or human rights violations.
The use of generative AI has spread rapidly in recent years. While it is expected to contribute to future economic growth and solve social problems, some concerns point to potential risks to human society, such as promoting human bias and making information unreliable.
Additionally, the need for laws, regulations, and guidelines to promote the spread of trustworthy AI is becoming increasingly important and is a subject of global discussion.
Basic Concept
We seek to achieve a better, human-centric society through appropriate and active AI use.
As a company that operates globally, we share a common Groupwide understanding of the appropriate use of AI, and we will work together to achieve a better, more human-centric society through its active use.
We instituted a basic policy in June 2021 based on this underlying approach.
Our Vision
Establish AI Governance Structure and Improve Employees’ AI Literacy
To ensure that we use AI in accordance with the basic policy at Konica Minolta, we will establish an internal AI governance structure and conduct risk assessments in each department. We will also conduct risk assessments throughout the entire lifecycle, from the planning stage to the operational stage.
In addition, to improve all employees’ AI use literacy, we will provide AI use training every year. We will also provide training tailored to a specified target, including those who conduct risk assessments and those in leadership positions. Moreover, we will hold lectures by internal and external experts for employees to keep them well-informed about the use and application of AI.
The above initiatives are already underway at Japan Group companies, and we will gradually expand them to Group companies in other regions and countries.
In addition, with social trends drastically changing, we will swiftly and flexibly transform our AI governance structure and processes based on our understanding of the latest external trends, such as European AI regulations.
Collaboration with Customers, Partner Companies, and Research Institutions Including Universities
Through the exchange of information with customers, partner companies, and research institutions including universities, and participation in related organizations, we will cooperate with stakeholders to help achieve a human-centric and sustainable world.
In addition, we will submit and present academic studies to widely communicate our efforts to the world, collect the latest information, and exchange views that will lead to further improvement.
AI Governance Structure
To ensure that we appropriately use and apply AI throughout the Konica Minolta Group, we have established the Responsible AI Office, a cross-Company organization consisting of all divisions involved in the use and application of AI.
In cooperation with those appointed to be in charge of promoting AI use in each business division, the Responsible AI Office supports developers to conduct proper risk assessments at the product planning stage, and also trains and educates all employees.
The AI Ethics Review Committee, which consists of the directors in charge of the divisions involved in AI use, internal AI technology experts, and external AI ethics experts, reviews the results of the risk assessments submitted by each division. The AI Ethics Review Committee meets every other month to review such matters and to share the latest information on social trends regarding AI use, which helps to improve our Companywide initiatives.
Furthermore, we are evaluating our own implementation of AI governance (AI governance maturity) with reference to the AI Guidelines for Business Ver. 1.0 established by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and we are working to continually improve our practices.
Risk Assessment
We have created our own in-house checklist for the use and application of AI with reference to various guidelines. When we use AI for new products or services, each division conducts a risk assessment at the product planning stage using this checklist, and the AI Ethics Review Committee reviews the results to reduce the risk of problems arising from the inappropriate use of AI.
Regarding the use of AI, Konica Minolta regularly monitors the occurrence of unanticipated risks and the effectiveness of risk countermeasures during risk assessments, confirming that no serious accidents have occurred. In the two years since the Company established the AI Ethics Review Committee, it has reviewed roughly 80 cases, including those involving the use of generative AI.
We regularly review and improve the checklist as we accumulate case studies with various teams including business divisions.
Following the passage of the EU AI Act, we have been collaborating with the Responsible AI Office, business divisions, and local subsidiaries to strategize our response. Our local subsidiaries have already taken action, primarily through their IT security, compliance, and legal departments.
In-House Training
Since fiscal 2021, we have been working to improve the AI literacy of employees by providing in-house training for all Japan Group company employees to put our basic policy into action considering the AI ethics-related problems arising in society and our approach to them. To date, approximately 10,000 employees have taken the training.
In fiscal 2022, outside experts lectured employees with the aim of raising awareness of AI use. Further, the rules for using generative AI, represented by ChatGPT, were rolled out in Japan in May 2023 and internationally in June. With this initiative, we aim to ensure that employees gain a proper understanding of the potential and risks of generative AI, and use it in a safe, ethical, and responsible manner worldwide.
In addition to continuing our training for all employees, we will also provide specialized training tailored to a targeted audience including risk assessment personnel to improve their skills.
