NHK has learned that, starting this month, Japanese electronics giant NEC is planning to offer business services based on its own generative artificial intelligence.

The company says it will be able to securely handle even the most confidential information via domestic data centers.

NEC's AI features a large-scale language model dedicated to Japanese. It uses customized technical terms tailored to each field of business.

Sources say power consumption has been reduced by cutting the amount of processing the software has to do.

NEC says keeping the entire process within Japan means it can offer better data security. It's also considering offering the services to public entities, as well as businesses.

The company plans to create an organization of about 100 people with the goal of popularizing homegrown AI.

Japanese telecom giant SoftBank, internet services company Line, and major IT firm CyberAgent are also developing their own generative AI systems.