OKI Signs Strategic Partnership Agreement with US-Based Lazarus AI

- Toward the Implementation of Highly Reliable AI in Mission-Critical Fields -

OKI (TOKYO: 6703) signed a strategic partnership agreement with Lazarus Enterprise, Inc. (CEO: Alex Panait, Headquarters: Massachusetts, U.S., “Lazarus AI”), a US-based company providing secure and highly reliable AI technologies for secure operation on January 1, 2026. Through this partnership, the two companies will combine their strengths to accelerate the adoption of AI in mission-critical fields, including social infrastructure, core corporate operations, and the defense sector.

While the use of AI in companies has been expanding for purposes such as improving operational efficiency and productivity, full-scale adoption has been slow in areas involving human life, regulatory compliance, social infrastructure, and core business operations. This is due to challenges such as the risk of incorrect responses caused by hallucinations (the generation of false information) (Note 1) and the difficulty of verifying the basis for answers generated by AI. Against this backdrop, demand is increasing for highly reliable AI that can be used with confidence in actual operational settings, rather than for automation alone.

Under this strategic partnership agreement, OKI will accelerate proposals for introducing AI to operational sites by combining its field-proven expertise with Lazarus AI’s advanced technologies. Lazarus AI’s technologies are characterized by highly transparent information generation with clearly cited sources, advanced document understanding capabilities that accurately analyze a wide variety of documents, and a high level of security backed by its adoption by the U.S. Department of Defense. Leveraging the operational expertise and know-how OKI has cultivated in the defense field, OKI will implement these technologies to address challenges related to accuracy, accountability, and consistency that have been difficult to achieve with conventional AI. This will make it possible to use AI in highly sensitive areas, including operational decision-making for critical facilities and the transfer of expertise from skilled personnel. In addition, these technologies can be deployed in on-premises environments and are expected to improve the quality of decision-making operations and reduce workloads while maintaining confidentiality.

Going forward, OKI and Lazarus AI will advance the development and verification of AI utilization models robust enough for practical operation in areas such as social infrastructure, critical corporate operations, and the defense sector. Through the creation of use cases in actual operational settings, the two companies will provide new value to customers and society. OKI will continue to contribute to the realization of a safe, secure, and sustainable society through the utilization of advanced technologies, including AI.

Alex Panait, Lazarus AI CEO commented as follows:
“I am genuinely excited about our strategic partnership with OKI. We have tremendous respect for OKI's rich heritage, world-class talent, and strong customer relationships, including its longstanding contributions to the public sector. By bringing together OKI's market presence and domain expertise with Lazarus AI's advanced enterprise AI technologies and systems, we are opening a new and important chapter in our global go-to-market strategy. I look forward to working closely with the OKI team to create lasting value for customers and drive innovation together.”

[Terminology]
Note1: Hallucination
A phenomenon in which generative AI produces information that is not based on fact, or that contains logical errors, while presenting it as if it were correct.

About Oki Electric Industry (OKI)

Founded in 1881, OKI is Japan's leading information and telecommunication manufacturer. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, OKI provides top-quality products, technologies, and solutions to customers through its Public Solutions, Financial & Payments Solutions, and Components & Manufacturing businesses. Its various business divisions function synergistically to bring to market exciting new products and technologies that meet a wide range of customer needs in various sectors. Visit OKI's global website at https://www.oki.com/global/.

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Going forward, OKI and Lazarus AI will advance the development and verification of AI utilization models robust enough for practical operation in areas such as social infrastructure, critical corporate operations, and the defense sector.