Plaid Announces Joint Development of AI-BPO Service in CX Domain with SORAMICHI

Plaid Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Kenta Kurahashi) announced today that it will jointly develop an "AI-BPO Service" with SORAMICHI Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Koji Kawamoto), an official partner of Plaid's CX platform "KARTE". This service will redesign business processes in the CX domain using AI. The service will support everything from analysis to the execution of measures through a business design where AI handles practical tasks such as analysis and implementation, while humans focus on strategy planning and final decision-making, ultimately leading to top-line growth for companies.

Background

While companies are rapidly advancing their DX and adopting marketing that utilizes customer data, securing specialized personnel who can continuously and high-quality operate measure planning, implementation, and verification remains a serious challenge across all industries. Companies with large-scale data and strict operational requirements often find that even after introducing systems, they cannot achieve data and AI utilization that leads to business revenue growth. This challenge is also reflected in national guidelines. The "Digital Skill Standard ver. 2.0" published by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in April 2026 established a new "Data Management" category responsible for data preparation and operation, and newly defined skills related to AI implementation, operation, and AI governance. This indicates that it has become indispensable, not just for individual skills but also for companies to possess as an organizational capability, to the extent that it is being standardized as a national guideline.

Meanwhile, as the practical application of AI progresses, practical areas such as data analysis and the creation of implementation drafts are becoming increasingly replaceable by AI. Consequently, the value of "uniquely human" areas such as strategy planning and final decision-making for measures is relatively increasing. Entrusting AI with tasks that can be handled by AI and allowing scarce human resources to focus on the decision-making areas of "why, what, and how to decide" is considered a realistic path to overcome the talent shortage.

Against this backdrop, both companies have jointly developed a new standard for AI utilization in the data utilization and CX domains by establishing an operational model where humans are responsible for final decisions and AI supports practical tasks, thereby simultaneously addressing the challenges of AI implementation and operation talent shortages and governance. The AI-BPO service will be provided by combining Plaid's real-time data analysis platform and product suite with SORAMICHI's track record in digital marketing and CX consulting, and AI agents (such as Google's "Gemini Enterprise" and Anthropic's "Claude").

Overview of AI-BPO Service

While traditional BPO primarily focuses on cost reduction through outsourcing of routine tasks, the AI-BPO service jointly provided by both companies will redesign the entire business process from customer understanding to measure planning, execution, and improvement, starting with AI implementation.

By adopting a human-in-the-loop operational design where AI generates measure hypotheses, performs data analysis, and creates implementation drafts, while humans focus on strategy planning, planning decisions, and effect verification, with humans always holding the final decision-making power, this service simultaneously achieves business top-line growth and business transformation in the CX domain based on AI.

Specifically, SORAMICHI's AI operation platform "ATLAS" will serve as the execution environment for AI agents. Through bidirectional connections (API and MCP) with external AI agents provided by Plaid's product suite, AI agents will directly execute operations such as segment setting, customer service measures, event definition, and reporting. A key feature of this service is its ability to handle everything from data reference and analysis to the execution of measures. The design ensures that only approved operations are reflected in the production environment, meeting the control requirements sought by enterprise companies.

Roles of Both Companies

Plaid will provide the data platform for real-time analysis of customer behavior and the action layer that directly connects the captured data to measure execution through its product suite, including KARTE. Real-time behavioral data at customer touchpoints of adopting companies, such as websites and apps, will serve as the foundation for AI agents to design and execute personalized experiences, and will also be the starting point for understanding the customer's context. These functions can also be directly called by external AI agents, allowing for seamless connection with AI environments and data platforms that companies have already invested in.

SORAMICHI will provide its CX consulting expertise and its capabilities in developing and operating AI operational platforms. Leveraging its extensive track record in the enterprise domain across various industries, SORAMICHI will be responsible for implementing AI-BPO tailored to the different requirements of each industry.

By combining the strengths of both companies, we will establish a new service model for AI utilization in the CX domain that deeply understands customers and delivers optimal actions quickly through AI.

Future Developments

Starting in the second half of 2026, the AI-BPO service will be sequentially offered to the existing customers of both companies, and we will strengthen our systems for full-scale provision.

AI-BPO Service Use Case Introduction at Conference "X DIVE 2026"

A joint session on a先行 use case of this service will be held at the conference "X DIVE 2026" hosted by Plaid on July 9, 2026 (Thu).

Why Do Customers "Hesitate"? Data Utilization Techniques to Continuously Improve the Resolution of Insurance Consideration Experience

Speakers: Mr. Shuhei Nishiyama, Line Manager, Market Innovation Department, Dai-ichi Neo Life Insurance Company, Limited Mr. Keisuke Suzuki, Assistant Manager, Market Innovation Department, Dai-ichi Neo Life Insurance Company, Limited Mr. Kohei Sakai, General Manager, CX Consulting Department, SORAMICHI Inc. Mr. Kosuke Takashima, Partner Sales Team Manager, Plaid Inc.

You can register to participate in X DIVE 2026 here: https://xdive.plaid.co.jp/2026/

Comment from Mr. Koji Kawamoto, President & CEO, SORAMICHI Inc.

SORAMICHI has supported companies' customer understanding and measure execution through CX consulting and operational support for CX platforms including KARTE. In recent years, while the importance of marketing utilizing customer data has been increasing, the shortage of specialized personnel to continuously handle analysis, implementation, and verification has been a common challenge for many companies. The AI-BPO service jointly developed with Plaid combines KARTE's real-time customer data utilization platform with our CX consulting and AI operation expertise, creating a new operational model where humans focus on strategy, planning, and final decision-making, while AI supports practical tasks such as analysis and the creation of implementation drafts. Through this service, we aim to establish a new standard for CX operations that contributes to the top-line growth of client companies, going beyond AI as merely a means of efficiency, together with Plaid.

Comment from Kenta Kurahashi, CEO and Representative Director, Plaid Inc.

Plaid's mission is to "maximize the value of people through data," and we have built a data platform to help companies deeply understand each customer. On the other hand, the shortage of digital talent, particularly among enterprise companies, has become a serious social issue, and there is a significant gap between "valuable data" that serves as a source of corporate competitiveness and the "processes to operate it." The AI-BPO service jointly developed with SORAMICHI directly addresses this challenge. By seamlessly connecting real-time customer behavior data and context to CX operational processes using AI, we will achieve unprecedented business innovation and operational efficiency. Through a human-in-the-loop model that allows humans to focus on higher value-added strategy development, we will support companies in achieving results through integrated strategy and operations.

About Plaid Inc.

Plaid Inc., with its mission "Maximize the value of people through data," is a company that supports the maximization of corporate value starting from data. Based on its technology for analyzing vast amounts of customer behavior in real-time and structuring that context, Plaid offers a suite of data x AI products and support from specialized personnel. By supporting companies in achieving customer-centric management, Plaid contributes to sustainable business growth and the creation of value for each individual consumer. https://plaid.co.jp/