[Apology and Gratitude] Regarding the true intent behind the revision of the "Group Recommended" remote work policy to "In-Principle Office Attendance Recommended," and the "Redefinition of Office Value" in the AI era.
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I received many opinions regarding my post on X on July 14th about revising the policy of "recommending remote work as a group" to "recommending in-principle office attendance." It was also covered by many media outlets, including newspapers, magazines, television, and radio. I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the many opinions received.
At the same time, I would like to offer my sincere apologies for causing a stir and creating misunderstandings due to "excessive expression." Since I have several media interviews scheduled this week, I would like to clarify my thoughts below.
This decision does not deny the work style of "remote work" itself. What we revised was the basic policy of "recommending remote work as a group."
(Note: In cases of individual circumstances such as nursing care, childcare, or hospital visits, we will respond flexibly after consultation with the HR department.)
Furthermore, because I was conscious of X's preference for short text, the explanation regarding "typing" took on a life of its own, giving the misunderstanding that I made the decision based on that alone. The purpose of this change is not a criticism of remote work. It is a redefinition of office value in the AI era.
Below, please allow me to explain three points regarding the reasons for this decision and my thoughts on "how humans work in the AI era."
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1. How Humans Work in the AI Era: "An era where tasks are left to AI, and people gather in the office."
In conclusion, I believe we are in an era where tasks that can be left to AI should be left to AI, and humans should spend their time on more creative discussions, decision-making, and mutual learning.
The office is a place where you can discuss directly with colleagues who have diverse expertise.
We believe that precisely because it is the AI era, the value of time spent meeting face-to-face to discuss, judge, and learn from each other is increasing.
Of course, AI is extremely effective for information gathering, organizing points of contention, creating drafts for ideas, and supporting decision-making. On the other hand, for a place where colleagues face each other regarding questions without answers, discuss including facial expressions, pauses, and atmosphere, and make decisions with a sense of conviction, I believe there is still great value in humans gathering directly. It is overwhelmingly easier to generate ideas and make decisions based on everyone's consensus when meeting face-to-face rather than through a computer screen.
It's not about "remote vs. office," but how to maximize the value that only humans can provide. I believe the value of "coming to the office" is actually rising because of the AI era.
2. Fusion of the World's Best AI Environment with the Talent and Office Environment that Weaponizes It
Human talent is the greatest weapon in the AI era.
We, the GMO Internet Group, are developing AI computing infrastructure such as high-performance GPUs including the NVIDIA H200, networks for AI, and high-speed storage. The talent and colleagues operating that business foundation are in the office.
Furthermore, we have established a fulfilling workplace environment that partners (employees) can use daily, such as a cafe providing free meals and drinks 24 hours a day, an in-house nursery, nap and relaxation spaces, a training gym, massages, and learning support.
In addition, we have been promoting multiple projects since 2023 for 8,300 people to actively utilize AI.
■ History of AI Promotion at GMO Internet Group
Recently, I have personally taken on the concurrent role of "Group Chief AI Transformation Officer (Group CAIO)." On July 14th, we established the "Group AI Promotion Headquarters" (Head: Group Vice President Hiroshi Yamashita) and launched "Project Whisper for AI by GMO," distributing gooseneck microphones to all partners to seriously promote an environment for "using AI with voice."
Through these thorough multi-project efforts, the current AI agent business utilization rate across the group has surged to about 70%, achieving a reduction of 53.9 hours per partner per month (352,000 hours per month for the entire group).
This world-class AI infrastructure, overwhelming AI promotion power, and the office environment that supports high productivity. To maximize the fusion of these and utilize them as a weapon, we choose to "gather in the office."
3. Toward the Realization of the "Highest Average Annual Salary in Japan (21 Million Yen) Project"
We are promoting a serious project aiming for 8,300 group partners to achieve the "highest average annual salary in Japan" by 2030.
While other companies are still in a wait-and-see stage, for us to advance the AI-ification of operations to the limit "just a little bit faster"—this "slight first-mover advantage" is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create productivity that overwhelms other companies and provide unprecedented salary returns to partners. We cannot afford to miss this opportunity. For that, emergent creation and ultra-high-speed decision-making through face-to-face interaction are essential.
Already, the average annual salary of GMO Internet Group, Inc. (TSE Prime 9449) has reached 8.41 million yen, and the starting salary for new graduates has reached 7.1 million yen, significantly exceeding the national average in Japan and the average for listed companies (*1).
However, to become a role model for the entire group, we intend to raise the average annual salary of the headquarters to 10 million yen by fiscal 2027 and, by providing up to 10 million yen as performance-linked bonuses, lead by example to produce multiple "20 million yen annual salary players."
The optimal solution to clear this high goal and return the maximum results to partners is the promotion of "in-principle office attendance" at this point in time.
(*1 Reference)
The average annual salary of the 10 listed companies in the GMO Internet Group ranges from the 5 million yen level (Media, Commerce) to the 10 million yen level (PG, FG).
The average annual salary for Japan as a whole is approximately 4.78 million yen (median is approximately 3.62 million yen) according to a survey by the National Tax Agency (for 2024). The average annual salary for approximately 3,700 listed companies is 6.926 million yen, with a median of 6.616 million yen. Famous listed companies at the top of the average annual salary rankings are all over 20 million yen.
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As an entrepreneur, I sincerely hope that my partners and colleagues will say, "I'm glad I worked hard with Kumagai." I have absolutely no intention of ignoring individual circumstances to demand uniform office attendance or to lower the QOL of my partners.
Once again, I apologize for the disturbance.
That is all.
