Mogi has study abroad experience at a university in Taiwan. Driven by a desire to leverage this international experience in product development, he started his career at JAPAN AI. We spoke with Mogi about his challenges at JAPAN AI as he works daily with rapidly evolving technology, experiencing firsthand the overwhelming pace of the AI field.

Could you give us a brief self-introduction and tell us about your experiences as a student?

My grandmother loved traveling abroad, which sparked my interest in studying overseas from a young age. After graduating high school, I spent a year studying Chinese before entering a university in Taiwan. I studied information engineering and developed an iOS app for my graduation thesis. Later, I entered graduate school in Taiwan and joined an image processing research lab, though I had to withdraw midway due to personal circumstances. Life in Taiwan was incredibly stimulating and gave me valuable exposure to different cultures and ways of thinking.

What attracted you to JAPAN AI, and why did you want to join this team?

I was drawn to the stimulating environment where I could work alongside excellent engineers regardless of nationality. Beyond just being able to work with cutting-edge AI technology, I was attracted to a place where I could collaborate with members from diverse backgrounds and push each other to grow. Through my study abroad experience in Taiwan, I had come to deeply understand the importance of collaborating with people from different cultures, so JAPAN AI's global environment was extremely appealing to me.

How do you feel about the environment now that you're actually working here?

I was amazed by the overwhelming speed of development. I've come to realize that this driving force is essential for establishing a solid position in the AI field, where fierce competition unfolds. The pace of change is faster than I imagined, and it's an environment that constantly demands absorbing new knowledge and adapting.

But it's not just about pursuing speed. If you have the motivation, you're given opportunities to take on challenges regardless of your seniority. For example, during sprint planning, if I raise my hand for a task that no one else has touched, they'll entrust it to me even though I'm a newcomer. This culture is truly positive and provides tremendous fulfillment.

What is your team's mission, and what is your role within the team?

Our CoreX team's mission is to "continuously improve JAPAN AI's service quality and optimize performance to maximize customer satisfaction."

As a new graduate engineer, I'm responsible for improving existing features, developing new functionality, and rapidly adding features in response to client requests.

What's the atmosphere like on your team? And what are your teammates like?

Nearly half our team members have international backgrounds, creating a very global atmosphere where Japanese and English flow naturally in the office. What's most distinctive is that the culture of "ask immediately when you don't understand something" is deeply rooted throughout the team. When I post a small question on Slack, someone immediately follows up, allowing us to proceed with work at high speed. I also feel flexibility in many aspects.

While we stay focused during work hours, at the monthly social gatherings, I feel the open communication where we can chat freely across departmental boundaries, from deep work discussions to casual hobby talk.

All team members, and indeed all engineers at JAPAN AI, are excellent and provide daily inspiration. Especially when I witness their speed in solving unexpected problems, their overwhelming development pace, and the deep technical knowledge underlying it all, I feel genuine respect while also thinking "I can't fall behind." I'm actively absorbing much from my seniors and colleagues daily, and I want to share knowledge and experience that I can contribute to the team going forward.

Can you walk us through a typical day at work?