Japan’s Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama sat down with Alphabet to talk about bringing the tech giant’s latest AI capabilities to the country’s biggest banks.
Alphabet offered its latest AI technology to Japan’s three megabanks: Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG), and Mizuho Financial Group.
What’s actually on the table
MUFG is already piloting Google’s Gemini AI program starting in fiscal 2026, with the initial focus on enhancing customer engagement services.
In May 2026, OpenAI granted select Japanese banks access to its GPT-5.5 model specifically to improve defenses against cyber threats. All three megabanks are expected to participate in that initiative.
