Rakuten and Japanese HP launch hybrid AI on HP PCs for offline and cloud use

Rakuten Group and Hewlett‑Packard Japan announced the launch of “Rakuten AI for Desktop,” a hybrid AI solution bundled with HP PCs sold in Japan. The service combines on‑device processing with cloud connectivity, allowing users to run the Japanese‑optimized large language model Rakuten AI 7B offline for tasks such as rewriting, summarising and translating text, while still offering access to more than 70 Rakuten ecosystem services (e‑commerce, travel, mobile support, points, etc.) when online.

The on‑device version, called Rakuten AI 7B ONNX, runs on the AI hardware built into the PCs, providing low‑latency responses and preserving privacy by keeping data local. The product is being rolled out first to corporate customers with HP PCs, and a consumer version is slated for release after October. The partnership builds on a collaboration announced in November 2025, aiming to embed AI deeply into the Japanese work‑from‑home and office environment.