On-Device AI for JAL Cabin Crew Workflows Delivering Value in a World with AI Agents: A Fujitsu and Microsoft Collaboration

During his keynote speech at the "Microsoft AI Tour" at Tokyo Big Sight on March 27, 2025, Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella introduced the "JAL-AI Report," a business application for Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. (JAL) cabin crew that Fujitsu helped develop. This app leverages generative AI to assist cabin crew in creating reports about incidents that occur onboard, which are then handed over to ground staff. By simply entering keywords and phrases and selecting a few checkboxes, users can generate a handover report. To ensure usability during flights, the app is designed to operate in offline, on-device, edge, and on-premises environments.

Fujitsu collaborated with Headwaters Co., Ltd., a company specializing in AI solutions, to develop the "JAL-AI Report" app. For the implementation of generative AI, they used Microsoft's "Phi," a small language model (SLM) recognized for its performance in offline settings, rather than traditional large language models (LLMs) that depend on cloud connectivity. Phi was fine-tuned using JAL's past reports to create a model tailored for cabin crew operations. The prototype verification confirmed that the text in the generated reports was expressed naturally and accurately incorporated JAL's business terminology. The field trial demonstrated that the app could significantly reduce report creation time and the need for corrections.

In a breakout session following Satya Nadella's keynote speech, Yousuke Takabayashi Head of Digital Shifts DT Transformation Group, Digital Shifts Department from Fujitsu and Yoshihiko Tomoyama, Data & AI Specialist Manager at Microsoft Japan, discussed the future vision of AI solutions and AI agents envisioned by both Fujitsu and Microsoft.
They also highlighted the value that their collaboration brings to customers and the way they work, referencing the development of JAL's business application.

In the case of JAL's generative AI business app, Fujitsu conducted the proof-of-concept and development using Azure as a foundation and the latest version of Microsoft's SLM, "Phi-4/Phi-4-mini." Regarding the value that Fujitsu x Microsoft brings to customers, Tomoyama said, "Microsoft's mission is to empower all organizations and individuals, and it also has strengths in the general-purpose AI domain. On the other hand, Fujitsu is strong in business-specific AI. (With the two companies working together), we can complement each other and provide customers with a variety of options".

Takabayashi mentioned Fujitsu's strengths in the field of AI and AI agents as being "the ability to create AI agents by combining Takane, an LLM for enterprises with advanced Japanese language capabilities, LLM from various developers, and Fujitsu Kozuchi's AI engines”. He stated that one of the values of partnering with Microsoft is that, as in the JAL case, customers can choose from a variety of infrastructure environments, including cloud, on-premises, and edge, according to their needs.