[Nogata City] Accelerating DX Strategy, Establishing AI Advisor System – Yuichi Morito to Support the Mayor

Nogata City has established the position of CAIO (Chief AI Officer) to lead AI utilization for solving municipal challenges, improving citizen services, and driving business transformation. The mayor assumed this role on May 1, Reiwa 8 (2026).

To support the CAIO from a strategic and multifaceted perspective, the city has appointed Yuichi Morito, Representative Director of Knowledge Network Co., Ltd., who possesses advanced knowledge in AI, as the CAIO Advisor. The "CAIO Advisor Appointment Ceremony" was held on May 18.

Morito-san has been supporting Nogata City's DX promotion since fiscal year 2021 as a CIO (Chief Information Officer) advisor. He is also active nationwide as a regional informatization advisor for the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and as an evangelist for the Sharing Economy for the Digital Agency.

With this appointment, he will back up the mayor (CAIO) in the field of AI, further driving DX and improving citizen services.

1. Role of the CAIO As the chief officer responsible for AI, the CAIO oversees city-wide initiatives to achieve: - Improvement of citizen services and increased operational efficiency using AI. - Response to complex and diversified citizen needs and provision of sustainable administrative services. - Promotion of fundamental business transformation to create a new vision for the municipality.

2. Role of the CAIO Advisor As an AI expert, the advisor is responsible for: - Providing strategic and multifaceted advice on AI utilization to the CAIO. - Supporting the construction of a safe and effective AI promotion framework based on national guidelines and the latest technology trends. - Providing advice on specific AI-based initiatives to solve regional issues and improve citizen services.

3. CAIO Advisor Profile Yuichi Morito: Representative Director and President of Knowledge Network Co., Ltd.; Representative Director of the Japan Digital Transformation Promotion Association; Representative of the Sharing City Promotion Council. He also serves as a director for various organizations, including the Net Shop Ability Certification Organization and NPO Student Network WAN. He is a professor at Cyber University and a visiting professor at Nagoya University and Kumamoto University. He also serves as a regional informatization advisor for the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and a sharing economy evangelist for the Digital Agency.

4. AI Initiatives in Nogata City To improve the quality of citizen services and increase operational efficiency through AI, the city established an environment in October Reiwa 7 (2025) allowing all regular staff to use generative AI from their desks. It is now widely used for tasks such as drafting notices, proofreading documents, and generating project ideas.