AI agents automate complex tasks beyond RPA's reach, say Japanese firms

What happened

Japanese companies including Daikin, Hitachi, JAL, and LINE Yahoo are deploying AI agents—autonomous systems that plan and execute multi-step work—to handle customer support, equipment diagnostics, and administrative tasks. Daikin and Hitachi began trial operation in April 2025 at a factory; LINE Yahoo confirmed in a September 2025 announcement that its PoC showed the ability to handle over 300,000 customer inquiries monthly.

Why it matters

AI agents differ from generative AI (which answers one question at a time) and chatbots (which follow predefined scripts). They can tackle judgment-heavy work—like diagnostics or personalized customer replies—that traditional RPA cannot handle, potentially freeing staff from repetitive work to focus on complex decisions. For businesses, this means a wider automation range without replacing existing RPA systems.

What to watch

Success depends on careful sequencing. Experts recommend starting with small pilots on high-volume, measurable tasks (like invoice processing or support triage), then expanding only after confirming results. Security and human oversight remain critical—companies must limit AI agent access permissions and keep humans in the loop for high-impact decisions like refunds.