NTT DATA, a global leader in digital business and IT services, has launched Tsuzumi through Microsoft Azure’s AI Models-as-a-Service (MaaS), marking a significant milestone in their 25-year collaboration aimed at pioneering technological solutions that drive sustainability and innovation.
Tsuzumi is a powerful Large Language Model (LLM) proficient in both Japanese and English, designed to address environmental and financial challenges typically associated with LLMs. By optimizing model size without compromising performance, Tsuzumi democratizes advanced AI technologies like Generative AI, making them accessible to a broader range of users and applications.
A standout feature of Tsuzumi is its operational flexibility. The model employs efficient tuning processes using industry-specific adapters for tailored knowledge acquisition. This enables Tsuzumi to rapidly adapt to specific use-case requirements, thereby reducing service provisioning costs.
Yutaka Sasaki, President and CEO of NTT DATA Group Corporation, expressed enthusiasm, stating, “We are excited to deepen our collaboration with Microsoft by integrating Tsuzumi into Microsoft Azure AI. This not only strengthens our partnership but also aligns with our commitment to fostering a sustainable society.”
Eric Boyd, Corporate Vice President of Azure AI Platform at Microsoft, highlighted, “Supporting the launch of Tsuzumi on Microsoft Azure AI demonstrates our commitment to empowering organizations worldwide to leverage the capabilities of generative AI through models optimized for performance and cost-effectiveness, supported by the most trusted cloud platform.”
Initially available in Japan on the Azure MaaS platform, plans are underway to expand Tsuzumi’s availability to other regions. NTT DATA remains dedicated to continuous innovation, ensuring that Tsuzumi stays at the forefront of AI technology. Future advancements in multimodality are also anticipated, further enhancing Tsuzumi’s sophisticated capabilities to meet evolving global business needs.
