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Panasonic Connect CIO 河野昭彦 to detail 2023-era gen-AI rollout at Oct 7 seminar

Panasonic Connect CIO 河野昭彦 to detail 2023-era gen-AI rollout at Oct 7 seminar

3 Key Points

  1. What happened

    Panasonic Connect group VP and CIO Akihiko Kono will give the keynote at ZDNET Japan's online security seminar on October 7 at 1 p.m., covering generative AI practices the group has pursued since 2023.

  2. Why it matters

    The session frames shadow AI — generative AI adopted without security or governance approval — as a serious threat, and offers one large manufacturer's approach to rolling AI out safely.

  3. What to watch

    The talk is a company account, not an independent audit, so the test is whether Panasonic's culture-building examples translate to other organizations. The seminar runs online from 1 p.m. on October 7.

WHO IT HITSIT, security and governance teams at companies rolling out generative AI will get a concrete large-manufacturer account of combining use with control; those weighing shadow-AI risk are the clearest audience.

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Context & Analysis

The seminar is built around a problem that has grown alongside corporate AI adoption: tools brought in without sign-off from security or governance teams. The article calls this shadow AI and warns it can lead to information leaks and rights infringement, which is why the event pairs threat awareness with governance practice rather than treating them separately.

Panasonic Connect's contribution is longevity and scope rather than a single tool. According to the article, Akihiko Kono, the group's vice president and CIO, has been pushing generative AI since 2023 and has focused on bringing employees along and cultivating a use culture. That emphasis on culture, rather than on a specific product, suggests the group sees adoption and control as something to be built gradually inside the organization.

How useful the session proves will likely hinge on how transferable those practices are. A first-hand account from one large manufacturer can show what worked and what the limits were, but it is not an outside assessment, so teams at other companies may need to judge for themselves how much of it fits their own governance setup.

FAQ
When is the seminar and how do I attend?
ZDNET Japan Security Conference Vol.5 runs online from 1 p.m. on October 7. Program details and registration are available through the event page.
Who is speaking and what will they cover?
Akihiko Kono, vice president and CIO of the Panasonic Connect group, gives the keynote. He will present practical steps and an evolving strategy for involving employees and building a generative AI culture since 2023.
What is shadow AI and why does the seminar focus on it?
Shadow AI is generative AI introduced or used without meeting security and governance policies. The article describes it as a serious threat that can lead to information leaks and rights infringement.
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