Tokyo - Rakuten Group, Inc. and HP Inc. today announced the launch of Rakuten AI for Desktop on eligible HP PCs in Japan, bringing new levels of local performance, cost efficiency, offline availability and privacy to customers alongside the Rakuten AI experience.

Rakuten AI for Desktop has been optimized for HP AI PCs and allows, for the first time, the company's efficient Japanese-optimized Rakuten AI 7B large language model (LLM) to be used locally — even when offline — using the HP device's own built-in AI computing power with on-device mode, as well as in conventional cloud mode.

As AI usage increases, individuals and organizations globally are looking for ways to unlock its benefits without incurring unnecessary costs or privacy trade-offs. HP and Rakuten see hybrid AI playing an increasingly important role because it leverages the strengths of AI PCs to provide a choice to run AI workloads locally or in the cloud.

HP Japan customers can use Rakuten AI for Desktop on-device mode for intelligent, private and personalized workflows. Cloud mode connects users to Rakuten's specialized agents and the Rakuten Ecosystem. By reducing reliance on cloud services, customers gain seamless continuity offline with responsiveness, cost and privacy benefits.

“Talking with AI is fast becoming something people can't live without. Our vision is to make intelligence available wherever you are — online or offline, on a plane or in an emergency — so you have peace of mind that intelligence is always with you,” said Ting Cai, Chief AI & Data Officer, Rakuten Group. “Our development team has overcome significant technical challenges to reach this milestone, integrating the application, the model and the underlying hardware to bring our customers the latest technology with the robustness they expect. With Rakuten AI running locally on your device, we can leverage local context to get more done for you.”

“As AI becomes a natural part of everyday work and life, customers want experiences that are intelligent, secure and seamlessly integrated into the devices they use every day,” said Nobuki Okado, Managing Director, HP Japan. “Together with Rakuten, we're bringing hybrid AI to customers in Japan through an experience designed to help people work, create and collaborate more confidently. This collaboration demonstrates how AI PCs will become the foundation for the future of work by intelligently combining on-device and cloud AI.”

Today's announcement builds on the two companies' strategic collaboration announced in November 2025*2. By combining their strengths — HP's leading PC brand and innovative hardware and Rakuten's unique AI and ecosystem offerings — they intend to empower customers' daily life with AI-integrated devices and solutions.

With the launch of Rakuten AI for Desktop, HP PC users gain access to Rakuten AI's agentic capabilities*3. In addition to skills for daily tasks, it offers specialized Rakuten agents that can help complete everyday tasks like shopping, booking travel and managing Rakuten Points. Rakuten AI for Desktop acts as a gateway to over 70 Rakuten Ecosystem services and enhances daily life in Japan with language and cultural optimization.

Unlike traditional software pre-installation, Rakuten AI for Desktop is currently provided as an exclusive bundled offering with eligible HP PCs in Japan, enabling customers to activate the application after purchase and immediately begin using its AI capabilities. The bundled offering is currently exclusive to HP customers in Japan.