#Japan #Generative AI #Tokyo #Shift #天才くん

SHIFT's Award-Winning Approach to Disability Employment

At the forefront of innovation in Japan’s disability employment landscape, SHIFT, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, has been awarded the Special Award at the Generative AI Awards 2025. This recognition comes in light of their unique initiative that leverages generative AI to enhance the work opportunities available to individuals with disabilities. With a mission to maximize the value of every employee, SHIFT began its journey into disability employment in 2015. Over the years, they identified challenges in ensuring that roles offered to disabled employees were fulfilling and offered growth opportunities, often limited to simple tasks.

To tackle these challenges, SHIFT embarked on a project named “Using Generative AI to Forge New Norms in Disability Employment.” In a bid to increase workplace productivity and enhance individual skills, they developed a generative AI tool called "Genius-kun". This no-prompt AI tool was launched in 2024, aiming to improve operational efficiency within the company’s various departments. A dedicated team focused on disability employment collaborated with the team promoting the utilization of Genius-kun to boost the quality of work for employees with disabilities.

The concept of “AI working alongside people” guided both teams in methodically breaking down tasks and selecting suitable operations for AI application. By producing specialized AI templates for individual tasks, they created an environment where anyone, regardless of their familiarity with AI, could achieve high-quality results. Further, they established new workflows and guidelines based on AI utilization, facilitating easier integration based on individual aptitudes.

Within just six months of implementing Genius-kun, the productivity of various operations increased by 1.7 times, resulting in a remarkable reduction of 1,800 hours of work annually. Feedback from a survey conducted among employees revealed that over 70% experienced improved work conditions and productivity, with many tackling tasks that were previously beyond their reach, highlighting a positive transformation in workplace dynamics.

To share the insights behind their success, SHIFT will be hosting a special webinar titled “Updating Disability Employment with Generative AI - Practical Methods and Approaches for Achieving Diverse Workstyles” on January 21, 2026. This online seminar is free and will feature key project members discussing how they enhanced the benefits of AI for employees and fostered a sense of purpose and fulfillment among those with disabilities.

Since its establishment, SHIFT has been committed to creating a society where everyone can thrive by utilizing the talents and capabilities of individuals with disabilities. Their evolution into a hub for such employment began with the formation of a specialized Business Support Division in 2019. This division has spearheaded the recruitment and empowerment of individuals with disabilities, ensuring that all group companies exceed the legal employment rate for disabled individuals by June 2025.

About the Genius-kun AI Tool

Genius-kun stands out as a no-prompt generative AI tool developed specifically for the needs of businesses. It allows users to easily customize and produce necessary templates tailored to their objectives and processes. This was a response to feedback from users struggling to utilize AI tools effectively. With a focus on creating intuitive interfaces, Genius-kun has rapidly gained adoption throughout SHIFT, boasting a user rate exceeding 90% within a year of its introduction and an impressive increase in annual usage rates to approximately 370,000 instances, four times higher than the previous year. This efficiency has yielded financial benefits amounting to around 150 million yen for SHIFT.

With its unwavering commitment to improving the employment landscape for individuals with disabilities, SHIFT continues to lead by example, integrating cutting-edge AI technology to enhance productivity and inclusivity within the workplace.

About SHIFT

Founded in September 2005, SHIFT has established itself as a leader in providing quality assurance and testing services across various industries, from critical systems for financial institutions to the testing of apps and games. Their expansive expertise helps clients overcome a multitude of IT challenges, propelling towards a smarter, more efficient society.

For more information, visit SHIFT's Corporate Website or their Service Page.