How a SoftBank Corp. Subsidiary is Using Autonomous AI Operators to Enhance Customer Service

While the average turnover among employees is 8.7% in Japan's tightening labor market, employees working at customer contact centers are contending with a much higher turnover rate of approximately 30%*. This high churn at contact centers impedes stable staffing, which increases workloads and service inconsistencies, impacting customer satisfaction.

• *

  According to a report from Japan-based telemarketing company Scene Live Inc.

As companies diversify their products and services, real-time comprehension and response have become critical not only for enhancing the customer experience, but also for increasing revenue and enhancing brand value. With human-only operations reaching their limit, companies in Japan are faced with the need to take urgent action.

To address this issue, Gen-AX Corp., a subsidiary of SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) specializing in generative AI-powered SaaS products and consulting for AI transformation (AX), developed a solution called "X-Ghost." Pronounced 'cross ghost,' the autonomous AI-powered voice-response solution converses in an empathetic, human-like fashion and provides support around the clock. Gen-AX is now providing a pilot version to credit card major Sumitomo Mitsui Card Co., Ltd., and it is planning a full-fledged rollout in the fiscal year 2025, which ends on March 31, 2026.

What are some of X-Ghost's key features?

• Natural voice: X-Ghost responds smoothly to customers in a human-like voice when they call in, and it evaluates interaction quality to continuously improve.
• Structured domain knowledge: X-Ghost analyzes and digitizes deep operational knowhow to enable AI-powered self-learning.
• LLM (Large Language Model) ops framework: X-Ghost works to provide optimal responses by dynamically tuning workflows in real time. This minimizes quality inconsistencies and delays while enabling flexible responses to customer questions on a wide range of products and services.

Sumitomo Mitsui Card is proceeding with the technical verification of X-Ghost. President and Representative Director Yukihiko Onishi, commenting on this development, said, "We also face challenges at our contact centers, such as limited hours for handling inquiries and difficulties in establishing a sustainable operational structure due to labor shortages. To address this, we're considering introducing X-Ghost so we can provide voice-based responses 24/7. Through this implementation, our aim is to provide faster responses to improve customer convenience."

At SoftBank World 2025, a major event for enterprise customers in Tokyo held on July 16, Gen-AX Chief Executive Officer Shinichiro Isago demonstrated the transformative power of X-Ghost.

He noted that while contact center tasks were once too complex for AI, recent advances have enabled dialogue with truly natural-sounding speech. He showed X-Ghost's ability to handle interruptions seamlessly, and highlighted its backend design that securely integrates itself with external systems to handle requests like reservation changes.

Further commenting on the development of X-Ghost, Isago said, "We're committed to delivering immediately actionable results in the field by working closely with our partner companies and driving gradual improvements and implementation. By taking on social challenges directly, we'll continue to provide AI solutions that can immediately transform operations.

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(Posted on July 28, 2025)
by SoftBank News Editors