AI Policy
Resona Holdings, Inc. and its Group companies (hereinafter the “Resona Group”) constantly strive to deliver new value through high-quality products and services. To this end, the Group has positioned AI as a strategically important technology based on its Corporate Mission aimed at contributing to customers and regional societies through financial services full of creativity.
On the other hand, the use of AI is considered to entail having to deal with various risks and ethical challenges, especially in the areas of fairness and security, due to the possibility of misjudgment, abuse and malicious attacks. We recognize that these risks and challenges must be addressed.
With this in mind, we have established the “Resona Group AI Policy,” with the objective of promoting both the proactive use of AI and appropriate safeguarding against relevant risks.
This policy will be constantly updated in step with technological breakthroughs, changes in the external environment, shifts in the Group’s strategies and other circumstances.
1. Human Centered
The Resona Group will utilize AI to enhance the happiness and quality of life experienced by its customers, employees and other stakeholders in a way that honors their dignity and individual autonomy. Even as it utilizes it, the Group will avoid excessively relying on AI and secure mechanisms that authorize human employees to intervene.
2. Safety
The Resona Group will strive to prevent AI being used to endanger or inflict damage that negatively affects the lives, physical and mental well-being and assets of customers, employees and other stakeholders or to make their working environments hazardous. To this end, we will work to ensure the proper functioning of AI upon request as well as the use of appropriate machine learning processes and user compliance with rules. The Group will also manage risks arising from the use of AI based on the characteristics of said risks.
3. Fairness
Even as it utilizes AI, the Resona Group will maintain an awareness of the fact that AI is never completely free of inherent bias. Therefore, the Group will secure mechanisms that empower human employees to exercise their judgement and intervene as appropriate so that no-one is exposed to unjustifiable discrimination and prejudice due to race, gender, nationality, age or other attribute. By doing so, the Group will secure fairness.
4. Protection of Privacy
The Resona Group, when utilizing AI, will comply with the Act on the Protection of Personal Information and other relevant laws and regulations. Said compliance entails encrypting private and confidential information and implementing such management measures as access control. In these ways, the Group will protect the privacy of customers, employees and other stakeholders.
5. Security
While understanding that AI’s vulnerabilities cannot be completely eliminated, the Resona Group will remain attentive to latest security trends, maintain its preparedness against evolving and emerging modes of external attack, and implement proper security measures. By doing so, the Group will ensure the safe and secure use of AI.
6. Transparency and Accountability
The Resona Group will secure the verifiability of the bases of AI judgments while securing transparency by disclosing information that includes the fact that AI is used in its systems, services and web-based content, the scope of this use, risk countermeasures being implemented, and other relevant factors.
The Group will also fulfill its accountability regarding the use of AI by securing traceability in AI design, AI-assisted decision making and other processes, clarifying responsibilities to be borne by employees, and, if necessary, providing customers, employees and other stakeholders with information regarding measures being undertaken in accordance with this policy.
7. Education and Literacy
The Resona Group will educate its employees to ensure that they possess appropriate levels of AI-related knowledge as well as strong moral compasses and literacy levels—factors that will gain even greater importance going forward.
8. Securing Fair Competition
The Resona Group will not use AI to gain unfair advantage, rather, it will strive to maintain a fair competitive environment, implementing measures to prevent monopoly, ensuring regulatory compliance and promoting transparent business practices. Through these efforts, the Group will play its part in facilitating innovation and enabling society to enjoy diverse benefits afforded by AI.
9. Innovation
The Resona Group will promote innovation based on its recognition of AI’s usefulness as an effective tool for assisting with the resolution of social issues, improving customer experience, streamlining operations, and creating new value. The Group will also secure interconnectivity and interoperability among multiple AI tools while providing sufficient information to external stakeholders. By doing so, the Group will maximize the potential of AI and thereby contribute to the development of society as a whole.
10. Legal Compliance and the Protection of Intellectual Property
The Resona Group will comply with AI-related laws and regulations while giving due consideration to differences in these laws and regulations by country and region. The Group will also strive to develop an AI-related compliance structure in accordance with government and industry guidance, guidelines and other rules. When utilizing AI, the Group will strive to protect intellectual property in adherence with relevant laws and regulations.