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[Executive Interview #01] Advisor Ichiro Fujisaki (Former Japanese Ambassador to the United States) – Part 2

  • Interview
2024.10.16

Our President and CEO Kazuhiro Goto interviewed Ichiro Fujisaki, who is a former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the United States. Advisor Fujisaki was appointed as an advisor to D-POPS GROUP in April 2023 to help realize a Venture Ecosystem.

This article is based on the latter part of the interview.
You can view Advisor Fujisaki’s profile here:
https://d-pops-group.co.jp/en/company/board-member/

Read the first part of the interview here.

Goto:
Now, for the next question: you have experience serving as an outside director at major Japanese corporations like Nippon Steel and Itochu. How did working in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs feel different from working in the private sector? Were there any similarities?

Fujisaki:
One major difference I felt between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and large corporations was that when making decisions at the Ministry, we always had to consider how things would look to someone from the outside—in other words, accountability. I felt this was different in the private sector.

In a government office, you are constantly exposed to the media and the National Diet. Even the smallest mistake requires a public announcement. For example, if a tax office somewhere loses 300,000 yen and doesn’t report it, it would turn into a huge scandal, and they’d be accused of trying to cover it up. It’s the same with the police.

On the other hand, if a company loses 300,000 yen but finds it right away, they simply remind employees to be more careful next time. Ultimately, it’s something that can be controlled by the company’s management.

I feel like in the government, we spend too much energy on this kind of thing.

Another difference is that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was a much flatter organization compared to large corporations. Even younger employees were allowed to participate in high-level discussions and voice their opinions. In contrast, corporate hierarchies seem to be much stricter.

Goto:
I think so, too. Most companies in society follow a pyramid structure, so even if a young person works extremely hard or has exceptional ability, it still takes an incredibly long time to get promoted. That’s why I felt we needed to create more companies that offer young people real opportunities, or else there’ll be no future. That was one of the reasons I started my own company.

Fujisaki:
Exactly. That’s really important. Otherwise, young talent will just leave for opportunities overseas.

Goto:
Now, we’ve progressed even more from that point. Initially, we focused on building a company that gives young people opportunities, but now our goals have expanded to increasing the number of entrepreneurs in Japan and spreading a culture of taking on challenges and having a more open-mind. By doing so, we hope young people will have more options—whether it’s choosing where to work, what challenges to take on, or even starting their own business. I believe we need to create a society where entrepreneurship itself is celebrated, and that’s what I’m working hard to achieve.

At this point, Ambassador Fujisaki, I’d like to ask you the following question. Given your experience negotiating with various countries during your time at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with regard to managing the balance of power when dealing with several major global players: in order to firmly maintain and enhance Japan’s presence on the world stage, how do you think Japan should balance its relationships with the United States, the EU, and other major powers such as those in the BRICS group?

Fujisaki:
When I recently spoke with a top executive at a major corporation, he remarked, “In light of the dealings in Ukraine, North Korea, and China over these past 10 years, shouldn’t we set aside our belief in the inherent goodness of people—especially as it relates to democracy and peace—and instead operate on the assumption that human nature is essentially bad?” I replied, “No, it’s both at the same time. Our official stance is that humanity is good, but behind the scenes, we always assume the opposite. The core of national security is preparing for the possibility that anyone might do anything.”

Considering that Japan is neighbored by North Korea, Russia, and China, we have no choice but to depend on the United States for our security. However, that does not mean we must adopt the exact same policies as the US. Unlike the US, Japan has consistently maintained good relations with countries such as Cuba, Iran, and Myanmar, and even after the US pulled out, we continued with initiatives like the TPP [Trans-Pacific Partnership] and the Paris Agreement. We’re managing these relationships effectively without being overly vocal about it. The nations in the Global South and BRICS are by no means monolithic, so it’s important for us to build the best possible relationships with India, South Africa, Brazil, and others among them.

When you travel abroad, you often hear that many people hold Japan in high regard and have a positive impression of it. So, I believe that, fundamentally, our current approach is working well.

However, one area that requires caution is India. While India is often seen in a favorable light—partly because China is cast as the villain—it is, in reality, a very shrewd nation. Although I’ve only negotiated with India a few times, it turned out to be the most challenging negotiation partner I’ve ever encountered.

Goto:
In the serial articles you wrote for the Sankei Shimbun newspaper, you mentioned that Japanese people consider their nation to be somewhat unreliable, but at the same time, they think it is wonderful that in the past 70 years since the Great War, Japan has not entered into a single war. After reading that, I also thought, “Indeed, what a great accomplishment that is!”

Well, here is the next question: we often talk about the Lost Thirty Years*. From a global perspective, why do you think Japan has fallen behind in terms of economic growth and development? I think the situation has changed significantly since the publication of American sociologist Ezra F. Vogel’s book Japan as Number One: Lessons for America.

*Note: Japan experienced around 30 years of significant economic stagnation after the asset price bubble burst in 1990, known as “the Lost Decades”.

Fujisaki:
It was never really possible for Japan to become number one in the first place. We are a tiny country with no resources, yet 100 million people live here. With such limited land, we have to import considerable amounts of food and other resources, so becoming number one was never feasible. Since Vogel was my friend, it pains me to say this, but his book was essentially a strategy to boost sales through flattery.

For a country with scarce natural resources like Japan, it is critical not to overreach. I don’t think it was good for us to completely abandon our industrial policies just because the US said so. Instead, we should have created something like Silicon Valley through government and business cooperation.

On the other hand, I don’t think there’s anywhere as clean and comfortable as Japan. In terms of soft power, Japan is such an exceptional country that I refer to it as “A-Ka-Se-Ki-Rei” (initials of the Japanese words for ‘safety’, ‘security’, ‘cleanliness’, ‘discipline’, and ‘manners’).

Although Japan’s declining population is usually seen as concerning, maybe this small country doesn’t really need 100 million people. After all, Japan has one-third of the US population squeezed into an area the size of California, and 80% of Japan is mountainous. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad if Japan’s population decreased somewhat.

Having a domestic market such as the old automobile industry is not necessary. Rather, we should have been thinking about creating businesses regardless of the domestic market, like Taiwan’s TSMC or Finland’s Nokia. We should have developed industrial policies with this in mind. I think our nation’s current situation probably stems from our failure to further pursue startups and similar initiatives.

Goto:
For about the past five years or so, there has been quite the sudden, strong push to support startup companies. Both the government and large corporations are finally accelerating their investments in venture capital. It feels like we’re only now seriously pursuing what we should have started 30 years ago.

One last question for you, Ambassador Fujisaki, as someone who worked with various American presidents during your time as Ambassador to the US: among all the American presidents and the state leaders of other countries that you’ve met, who left the deepest impression on you, and why?

Fujisaki:
First, President Bill Clinton had this speaking ability where even in a crowd of 400 people, everyone felt like he was talking directly to them. And what’s remarkable about him is that he was an extraordinary intellectual. He went to Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, a scholarship program that only about 50 top American students per year can use.

However, I heard he hardly attended any classes. But here’s an interesting story I heard: when these 50 brilliant students gathered and discussed who among them would become America’s future leader, many of them said Clinton’s name.

He never really studied, but he was capable of academic excellence. And more than that, I think it was a kind of personal charisma. The fact that a majority of those brilliant students chose Clinton shows his remarkable ability.

Also, in terms of my personal experience, when former Prime Minister Obuchi passed away, I was Director-General of the North American Affairs Bureau at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. At that time, Clinton came for Obuchi’s funeral. After the funeral, there was a reception at the Akasaka State Guest House, and as the Director-General, I was assigned to guide the American president. Since I was leading the way there, Clinton was hardly able to see more of me than my back, and we had minimal conversation.

Four months later, Prime Minister Mori held the Okinawa Summit. Clinton was scheduled to give a speech at the Cornerstone of Peace. Actually, we weren’t sure if he could come because he was involved in Middle East peace negotiations at the time, but in the end, he managed to come and give a speech anyway.

Afterward, people lined up to shake hands with Clinton. I was in the front row, but since I’d have the chance to talk with him again later, I moved to the back so that the local residents could meet him first. Eventually, Clinton got to me, and when he saw my face he immediately said, “Oh hey, you’re here!” Either he had an exceptional memory and was able to remember me from just being his guide in Tokyo four months earlier…or perhaps, given his famous charm, he was calling out to every fourth person or so, ha ha. Either is possible for someone with social graces like his.

Meanwhile, President Barack Obama is definitely brilliant, but he seemed to feel the need to emphasize his intellectual capabilities…perhaps as a result of being a black person? Clinton, on the other hand, never displayed his intelligence. This was one difference I noticed about them.

Goto:
Conversely, perhaps it’s because he was already so capable that, as they say, “a wise hawk hides its talons.”

Fujisaki:
Yes, that’s probably it, although he’s also a white person. As for Obama, he’s very stylish, usually appearing with his shirt sleeves rolled up. But in reality, he has an incredibly sharp mind.

Goto:
Thank you very much for making time in your busy schedule today. I’ve gained a lot of knowledge and inspiration from talking with you, and I am determined to build a Venture Ecosystem for the future of Japanese society.

 


 

Afterword by Kazuhiro Goto, President and CEO of D-POPS GROUP Co., Ltd.:

I had the distinct privilege of interviewing Mr. Fujisaki, who served in crucial diplomatic roles including Ambassador to the United States as well as the Permanent Mission of Japan’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the International Organizations in Geneva. Through this interview, I received countless invaluable insights, experiences, and advice.

I was so excited about the interview that I could hardly contain myself, especially the day before, and the questions I wanted to ask him were even floating through my dreams. He answered all my many questions sincerely, and his responses consistently resonated with principles of corporate management.

Making decisions in the complex world of diplomacy and politics must be incredibly challenging. In business management, too, we’re constantly required to find the most appropriate solutions possible while dealing with the various matters in front of us. The experiences and advice Mr. Fujisaki shared will be valuable not only for myself and current leaders but also for future generations of leaders.

In this interview, there were so many candid statements that we also had to omit quite a bit of content. In fact, the interview itself was about ten times longer than what appears here! Even now, Mr. Fujisaki holds important positions such as President of the America-Japan Society and Advisor (formerly Chairman) to the Nakasone Peace Institute. This was truly a priceless occasion, and I earnestly feel that his knowledge and experience should be passed along to the next generation for the sake of Japan’s future.

In closing, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Fujisaki one last time for giving me this precious opportunity to interview him.

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Our app eliminates that friction, allowing people to learn whenever they have a spare moment without any preparation. ◆Where SpeakBUDDY Differs from Duolingo and Speak Sugihara: Recently, we’ve seen a rise in similar services like Duolingo and Speak. Could you walk us through where SpeakBUDDY excels and what makes it unique compared to those other players? Tateishi: We have immense respect for Duolingo as a service. However, we view them more as a comprehensive learning platform focused on vocabulary and grammar rather than specialized for speaking. Because they prioritize gamification, they are an excellent entry point for beginners to engage with a new language as if they were playing a game. In contrast, we are hyper-focused on speaking. For the Japanese people who have studied English to some extent in middle and high school but still find themselves unable to speak, SpeakBUDDY is the more effective fit. Regarding Speak, the US-based AI app that also focuses on verbal expression, I believe we have the edge in two areas. The first is ease of use. Our UI and UX are meticulously crafted to be intuitive, making it easier for users to build a daily habit. The second is our scientific foundation. We’ve integrated rigorous Second Language Acquisition (SLA) theories into the very core of our design to ensure users achieve actual fluency. The fusion of these two elements is where we stand out. Sugihara: I’ve noticed the app can be quite persistent with having me review expressions right when I’m about to forget, ha ha. Tateishi: That’s the idea! Our review system is based on Ebbinghaus’ “forgetting curve”. We ensure that learning is reinforced through spaced repetition to guarantee retention. Packaging such high-level pedagogical expertise into an app is one of our greatest strengths. The other differentiator is in the name itself: the “Buddy”. 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I’ve always personally loved the type of UI/UX aesthetics found in the West, so having international designers lead the creative process is a defining characteristic of our product. At our core, we believe that consistency is key to language acquisition, and the key to consistency is enjoyment. Internally, we often use the terms ‘Buddy-ness’ or ‘Buddy sense’ to describe how we want every aspect of our app experience, from the characters to the interface, to embody a sense of companionship and rapport. ◆Over 300 Clients: Rapid Growth in the Corporate Market Sugihara: Have you been putting a lot of effort into developing your corporate client base? What kind of companies are adopting your services, and what are their primary objectives? Tateishi: We have focused heavily on corporate expansion over the last three years. Due to the increasing need for communication driven by corporate globalization, we have now surpassed 300 corporate clients. Most companies implement the service as part of their self-improvement programs or employee benefit packages. In terms of industries, while we naturally serve global enterprises, we’ve seen a recent surge across all sectors due to a recent trend towards management of human capital. More companies want to support their employees’ self-development through paying for our services. After all, there are people who genuinely want to improve their English in every company. We see a particularly high rate of adoption in the IT, manufacturing, and customer service industries. We already provide sector-specific content, and we plan to further strengthen our corporate-oriented curriculum moving forward. Sugihara: What kind of feedback are you getting from these companies? Tateishi: It’s incredibly rewarding to hear from HR managers that their employees no longer feel a resistance to speaking English or that they have begun participating proactively in international meetings. We often hear from HR and training coordinators that they have never seen such a positive internal response to an English training program before. Sugihara: I see, so the employees themselves are reporting their satisfaction back to the HR department. Tateishi: Right, and then the number of applicants for the program is often multiple times higher than the original estimated number of applicants. Apparently, the turnout has been up to ten times higher than for in-person English conversation training. I’m pretty sure the fact that you can start so casually, with such a low barrier to entry, must be a big factor. We’re also seeing significant adoption in the hospitality sector, such as hotels. With the rise in inbound tourism, SpeakBUDDY is proving very effective in lowering the so-called “English allergy” barrier for staff when international travelers drop by their shops or hotels. ◆More Employee-Friendly than Traditional English Training Sugihara: In many large Japanese corporations, English training often comes with rigid requirements, like having to achieve a specific TOEIC score. Tateishi: That’s true. Traditional corporate English training usually felt like a burden…you had to hit a certain score, or you might even have to pay for it yourself if your attendance was too low. SpeakBUDDY’s greatest strength is its ability to be offered to a wider range of people at a lower cost. Instead of a mandatory chore, it becomes an employee benefit that people want to take advantage of. Sugihara: That approach is only possible because so many of your customers study consistently. Is the corporate segment still growing at this point? Tateishi: Yes, it’s continuing to grow very rapidly. If there are any companies out there struggling with their English training programs, please do introduce them to us, ha ha! ~To be concluded in Part 3~ Interview conducted by D-POPS GROUP’s advisor Genta Sugihara. SpeakBUDDY, Ltd. President and CEO: Tsuyoshi Tateishi Address: 3F +SHIFT Nihonbashi Sakuradori, 3-14-3 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo Established: May 2013 Website: https://www.speakbuddy.com/en In the third and final part of the interview, we discuss: ・Gathering all employees together for an honest confession of short funding ・Building a great company that balances autonomy and discipline ・Creating an AI language learning startup that will drive globalization in Asia ・And other topics Be sure to check it out here: https://d-pops-group.co.jp/en/column/speakbuddy-part3/
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2026.04.21
[Founder Interview #4] Tsuyoshi Tateishi (SpeakBUDDY) – Part 1
From 280 Points on TOEIC to a Perfect Score and 5,000 Hours of Studying, Forming a Belief in the Necessity of AI English Conversation In December 2025, D-POPS GROUP invested in SpeakBUDDY Ltd., the developer and operator of the “SpeakBuddy” AI English conversation app. (Read more about it here.) How did someone who was once considered the worst English student in his grade go on to build a cutting-edge, AI-powered English conversation service? In this three-part series, we look into the entrepreneurial journey of SpeakBUDDY’s founder Tsuyoshi Tateishi and the future he envisions for language learning. In Part 1, we explore his incredible transition from a low TOEIC score of 280 to 5,000 hours of dedicated study, his experiences at a foreign investment bank, and how a trip around the world sparked the idea for AI-driven English conversation. (This interview was conducted in March 2026.) ◆“Worst at English in the Entire Grade” Sugihara: To start off, could you tell us what gave you the initial push to develop the SpeakBuddy app? Tateishi: First of all, the biggest reason I chose the field of English was because I was actually terrible at it during my student years. English requires consistent, cumulative effort, but I hit a wall in my first year of junior high school and just couldn't keep up with my classes after that. By high school, my teacher told me I was "the worst at English in the entire grade." Sugihara: So the student who was the worst in his grade became the CEO of an English conversation app company, ha ha! Tateishi: Exactly. That was my reality in high school, but the turning point came during my job hunt in university. I received a tentative offer from a foreign investment bank, and starting my career there was what finally forced me to start learning. Sugihara: It was a foreign-owned firm, so didn't they interview you in English? Tateishi: Oh, they did. The final interview was in a boardroom with the then-CEO of Citigroup Global Markets Japan and a row of executives from various departments. At the time, they were testing whether candidates could handle that kind of pressure. Since investment banking is a business where people are the only real assets, they were looking for character. That 10-on-1 interview was mostly in Japanese, but at the very end, the HR Director said, “Alright, I’m going to ask you a question in English, so please answer in English.” Up until that point, all the interviewers were Japanese, so they were probably assuming, “He graduated from Keio University, so he can probably handle it.” But in fact, my English was non-existent. My TOEIC score was only 280, so I knew I wouldn’t be able to understand any questions if they asked me in English, so I had prepared exactly one response in my head: “I can’t speak English. But I will study hard. So, no problem!” I said it with total confidence, but in fact, that single sentence was the only English I had learned. Back at that time, just memorizing that one phrase had been a struggle for me! The entire room of interviewers froze. Everyone was like, “Wait, what? You applied here with that level of English? This is a foreign firm…what are you expecting to do?” However, this was during my third year of university, so I told them, “I still have one year until I graduate.” At the time, I had just become the youngest person that year to pass the CPA exam at age 20. I was studying 14 hours a day…other than study and sleep, I would spend only two hours a day to shower, eat, and commute. I was used to finishing an entire textbook in a single day. So, I truly believed it when I told them, “I have a year, and that’s enough time for me, seriously.” At the time, I figured if I could get a 750 on the TOEIC, I would be basically fluent. Compared to the CPA exam, where if you fail, you have to wait another year, I felt no pressure at all. When I said, “I’ll start tomorrow”, they looked at me and said, “You do look like the type of guy who would actually do that.” Still, I walked out thinking I had definitely failed the interview, since it was a global firm and I couldn’t speak a word of English. But later that day, someone from their HR called me. Apparently, the CEO had been my biggest advocate. He told them, “Hire that guy.” The HR worker asked me, “What on earth did you say to the CEO?” Now, what I had told the CEO was this: “I might not speak English now, but through my CPA studies, I realized there isn’t that much difference in the capacity of human brains. It’s all about having grit. I know for sure that if I put my mind to something, there’s nothing I can’t achieve, and I will absolutely get this done.” The CEO decided, “Let’s hire one interesting guy like this”, and that’s how I got the job. ◆The Problem for Japanese Who Study English for 5,000 Hours Tateishi: Over the following years, I reached a perfect score on the TOEIC, passed the Eiken Grade 1 (the highest level of Japan’s most popular English proficiency test), and logged a cumulative total of approximately 5,000 hours of English study. Through those 5,000 hours, I had a painful realization: learning English would be far more difficult than I thought it would be when I was job hunting. I realized that this might be the single greatest challenge facing the Japanese people. I struggled with it while at that foreign-owned firm, and even after I moved to a Japanese brokerage, I was stationed in Hong Kong where I had to use both English and Chinese. If you can't use the language, you simply cannot do the job. I learned enough Chinese in Hong Kong to handle daily conversation, but if people ultimately can't understand what you're saying, you can't conduct business. Japanese people are excellent workers, but just because their English isn't great, my compatriots were being looked down on by people from headquarters or other overseas branches, and I couldn't stand it. During global training sessions and such, Japanese participants may not be able to speak English at all, but when it comes to the actual work output, they are consistently the best. Changing the reality that Japanese people are brilliant but are dismissed because they can’t communicate in English became my core motivation. I spent 5,000 hours to get there, but that’s not a realistic path for everyone. I want to use the power of technology to drastically shorten that time. This is the fundamental reason I chose the field of English education and began developing SpeakBuddy. ◆Making a “Doraemon” Who Can Speak English at Home Sugihara: Did you always have the desire to be an entrepreneur, even as a student? Tateishi: I did. I remember asking during my job interviews, “If I work at this investment bank, will it help me when I start my own company later?” But after seven years of intense, high-pressure work, I had completely forgotten that dream. However, as my desire to create a service that truly helps society grew stronger, I remembered, “Oh right, I actually wanted to start a company!” So, I quit as soon as I returned from my overseas assignment. I decided to quit first, and think of a business plan later. So, with my back against the wall, I finally went on the world tour I had always wanted to do, and I mapped out my business plan while traveling. While hopping from country to country, I was also teaching myself app development. The English learning app I built during that trip actually reached number 1 in the overall App Store rankings. Sugihara: Hitting an overall ranking of 1 is incredible! Was that app the prototype for what SpeakBuddy is today? Tateishi: Yes, I’d say that was the prototype. During my world tour, I also did a short-term study abroad program. Even when you are overseas, you find yourself wanting someone to practice English conversation with. But making friends in English out of thin air is incredibly difficult. People always say, “Just get a foreign boyfriend or girlfriend”, and I actually tried to do that while I was abroad, but it’s not as easy as it sounds, ha ha! While I was abroad, I thought, “If only I had a Doraemon* at home who could speak English with me, that would be enough.” That desire to create a Doraemon who speaks English was the starting point of our service. *Note: ‘Doraemon’ is a beloved character from a Japanese children’s cartoon who always helps the other characters with their various problems. I included a voice recognition feature in that first app, and I’m proud to say it was likely the first app in Japan to feature English voice recognition. However, back in 2014, the accuracy was still quite low. But over the next year or two, I felt the technology improving at an exponential rate. I became convinced that in the future, I would be able to create a real AI English conversation partner. In 2016, I stopped everything else I was working on and focused all my resources on AI English conversation. ◆The Problem with AI-related Branding in 2016 Sugihara: When you released the precursor to your current app back in 2016, were you already using the word ‘AI’? Tateishi: Yes. Even at the 2016 launch, we were calling it ‘AI English Conversation’. Since we had no capital at the start, we began with a crowdfunding campaign. It went surprisingly well—we raised about 4 million yen—and we were already positioning it as an AI-driven service even then. Sugihara: The speed of AI adoption and evolution lately is staggering. While language models have developed explosively in the last year or two, you were really at the forefront. Tateishi: We were the only ones in that space back then. But honestly, the immediate aftermath of the release was a struggle. People in 2016 were very vocal with their skepticism, asking, “Where exactly is the AI in this?” They’d complain, “I’m talking, but this doesn’t recognize my voice at all!” Back then, AI conversation meant little more than speaking to a character with an electronic voice. The conversational AI was still in its infancy, with a simple tree structure where we programmed specific responses to specific phrases. You couldn’t engage with it via truly free conversation like we have now. In the end, because we were getting so many reviews asking “Where’s the AI?”, we actually removed the word ‘AI’ from our branding around 2017. Having AI in the title seemed to raise expectations so high that it led to people leaving 1-star reviews, so we decided to take it out for a while. Then, around 2019, speech recognition technology started to improve dramatically. We also built our own proprietary speech recognition engine, which boosted our accuracy significantly. From that point on, the quality of our conversational AI was able to truly shine. Sugihara: When I try using features like BuddyChat now, the AI responds naturally even if I say something completely random or trivial. It clearly isn’t just simple pattern recognition anymore. Tateishi: Yes, it can handle tangents and keep the conversation going. I feel like I can finally say “This is AI” with my head held high. Back in 2015 and 2016, we were right in that peak of inflated expectations on the hype cycle, which was followed by a valley of disillusionment. During that valley, people kept telling me, “AI is a joke; it’ll never work.” But gradually, it became the real deal. Sugihara: For someone who has been working on this for a decade, do you feel like it's about time for the AI boom to finally sweep across the world? Tateishi: In a way, yes. It feels like things are moving exactly as I expected, though there’s a bit of a time lag in terms of when the world finally noticed. To be honest, even with GPT, we were looking at GPT-2 and saying, “This is going to be incredibly useful.” So by the time GPT-4 arrived, our reaction was like, “Well, it’s already been impressive since the beginning.” It’s only been in the last few years that speech recognition, Natural Language Understanding (NLU), and Personalized Learning Logic have finally synced up. Because the level of inference has jumped so significantly recently, we can now provide high-level free talk like BuddyChat. It feels like the times have finally caught up with SpeakBUDDY. ~To be continued in Part 2~ Interview conducted by D-POPS GROUP's advisor Genta Sugihara. SpeakBUDDY, Ltd. President and CEO: Tsuyoshi Tateishi Address: 3F +SHIFT Nihonbashi Sakuradori, 3-14-3 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo Established: May 2013 Website: https://www.speakbuddy.com/en Next, in the second part of the interview, we discuss: ・The four pillars of SpeakBUDDY's competitive advantage ・Where SpeakBUDDY differs from Duolingo and Speak ・Rapid growth in the corporate market and feedback from business clients ・And other topics Be sure to check it out here: https://d-pops-group.co.jp/en/column/speakbuddy-part2/
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