Hitachi, Ltd. announced it will expand its work with OpenAI to accelerate AI-driven modernization and cybersecurity. The collaboration combines OpenAI's frontier AI technology with Hitachi's domain expertise in mission-critical systems and social infrastructure to drive AI transformation (AX) for customers and society.

Legacy System Modernization

The companies' Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) teams will leverage OpenAI's AI agent "Codex" to analyze the source code of mission-critical legacy systems. The goal is to establish an AI-driven modernization approach that supports safe migration through enhanced visibility into system design. Hitachi aims to develop solutions for core system modernization and roll them out sequentially across industries, starting with financial institutions.

Cybersecurity Enhancements

Hitachi plans to access OpenAI's AI models for cybersecurity through OpenAI's "Trusted Access for Cyber (TAC)" initiative. This program, part of OpenAI's Japan Cyber Action Plan, provides advanced AI capabilities to trusted defenders to strengthen cyber resilience in Japan's critical sectors. Under this framework, Hitachi will explore the use of models for defensive purposes such as remediation and validation, with appropriate safeguards and human oversight.

Hitachi's Cyber CoE will act as "Customer Zero," practicing these efforts internally to validate Hitachi-provided systems. The insights gained will be applied to further strengthen cybersecurity capabilities.

Strategic Impact

The insights gained from these initiatives will enhance Hitachi's FDE capabilities in modernization and cybersecurity. The company will further advance HMAX by Hitachi ("HMAX"), its next-generation AI solution suite for social infrastructure. These efforts aim to support customers in building resilient systems and advancing AX in social infrastructure.

Toshiaki Tokunaga, President & CEO of Hitachi, Ltd., emphasized the importance of the collaboration. "Modernizing legacy systems and enhancing security are critical management priorities for all enterprises seeking sustainable growth in the age of AI," he said. Tadao Nagasaki, President of OpenAI Japan, Ltd., added that applying AI to legacy modernization and defensive cybersecurity is essential to strengthening the business foundations of Japanese enterprises.

Hitachi, Ltd. and Google Cloud expanded their strategic alliance to accelerate the real-world deployment of physical AI and cybersecurity solutions. The partnership aims to combine Hitachi's digital engineering capabilities, cultivated through Lumada, with Google Cloud's advanced AI to support global customers. This collaboration seeks to drive the transformation of social infrastructure by connecting AI-driven analysis to autonomous control and operation of equipment.

To realize this mission, Hitachi will establish and globally deploy its Forward Deployed Engineers (FDE) model. FDEs are specialists who embed directly with customers to provide end-to-end support, from identifying management challenges to agile implementation. Hitachi's consultants, AI Transformation experts, and subsidiary GlobalLogic's AI-native software engineers will collaborate with Google Cloud's engineers. This team will work closely with Hitachi's Frontier AI Deployment Center to enhance HMAX, a suite of AI-powered solutions, by leveraging Gemini Enterprise.

The enhanced HMAX platform will help frontline workers through the autonomous execution of complex operations. By integrating Gemini Enterprise's agentic AI and multimodal models, the system can process diverse data such as on-site camera footage and sensor data. Hitachi will integrate its proprietary domain knowledge with Google Cloud's agent-ready data technologies into its data platform. This approach aims to create scalable business outcomes and establish new business models in the infrastructure sector.

In the field of cybersecurity, the two companies will address AI-driven threats by jointly delivering autonomous next-generation security solutions. These solutions leverage Google Cloud Security technologies, including Wiz for automated risk reduction and Mandiant Consulting for cyber threat expertise. Hitachi will contribute its experience in mission-critical system integration in industries such as railways, energy, and finance, as well as its global OT knowledge. The adoption of Google Security Operations across Hitachi Group companies has already demonstrated the effectiveness of this approach.

Since forming their alliance in May 2024, the companies have advanced initiatives to create value through AI. Hitachi conducted a technical validation using Gemini Enterprise for maintenance and inspection work at Hitachi Power Solutions Co., Ltd., confirming potential improvements in quality and efficiency. Based on these results, Hitachi is accelerating efforts to enhance AI literacy by introducing Gemini Enterprise within its Digital Systems & Services Sector and advancing numerous proof-of-concept projects.

Key Initiatives under the Strategic Alliance

Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, stated that combining Hitachi's domain knowledge and GlobalLogic's engineering strength with Google Cloud's advanced AI represents an innovative approach to accelerating AI transformation. Jun Abe, Executive Vice President and Head of Digital Systems & Services Sector at Hitachi, emphasized that the expansion of the alliance will enable both companies to take on more complex challenges and create value from physical AI in customer business environments.