I want to see the scenery of 'Raising the world from Japan' together. I was excited about the unconventional challenge.

ー Please tell us why you decided to join Zeals as your first company after graduating.

I wanted to take a gamble on raising the world with Zeals.

During my job hunting, I applied to a wide range of companies, from large corporations to unknown ventures. Gradually, I realized I had a desire to "create from scratch rather than deploy existing services. I can't be satisfied unless I create it myself, and I want to see the scenery after it's done," and I decided to compete at a startup where I could be directly involved in the company's growth.

Among startups, Zeals is making steady achievements at the foundational level while holding a grand vision of "raising the world from Japan." On top of that, I was very excited that they are creating products in the AI x communication area, which has the potential to change the future of advertising. I am the type who executes faster than anyone else when I feel like doing something, so I strongly wanted to contribute to the sense of speed and vision of the company.

The passion for app development during my student days when I couldn't make friends. The source of my drive.

ー I see, Horikawa-kun values execution power, doesn't he? By the way, what kind of student life did you have?

I was born and raised in Hokkaido. I have lived in Hokkaido for 22 years. In university, I was involved in activities related to regional revitalization with hotels and was also creating apps. Since June last year, I have done an internship as a prospective employee at Zeals.

ー What kind of apps were you creating?

During my university life, I couldn't make friends due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I wanted friends and also a girlfriend. So, I decided to create a matching app exclusively for university students at first. However, since matching apps have strict regulations, I gave up on that idea and started thinking about whether I could use this app development for another purpose, leading me to pivot to a service that matches local companies with job seekers. I think I am the type who pursues things without considering the past and the future once I decide to do them.

A reunion on Wantedly. I want to bet on paradoxes using communication AI.

ー That's bold (laughs). You seem to have an active impression, developing your own apps, but could you tell me about your job hunting?

Actually, I read an article about Zeals when I was in high school. At that time, I didn't know anything about chatbots, but I still remember having the impression of an interesting company and a unique CEO.

During my job hunt, I had a great interest in smartphones and the internet since I was a child, so I was looking for IT x xx companies on Wantedly. It was during that time that I found Zeals, thinking, "That's the company from back then!" and I pressed the button to express interest.

After that, I participated in an information session and was struck by the vision of "raising the world from Japan." It's quite paradoxical for a startup that isn’t as famous as large corporations in Japan to say it will raise the world. In a society where saying, "I aim for the world" would get you laughed at, I thought, "That sounds good, I like it," and it resonated with my personality.

ー You had a paradoxical impression of Zeals, huh? Why did you decide to join Zeals from there?

In one word, it was because I wanted to take a gamble on raising the world from Japan. If I'm going to do it, I want to "create it with my own hands and achieve it myself." That feeling was strong within me.

Additionally, I was also interested in the field of communication. For instance, I see scenes where products are purchased simply because an influencer introduces them and because they are a fan of that person. I have a hard time with that (laughs). I feel that it's not essential. I think people should decide to buy things based on their own will. After meeting Zeals, I realized that AI could play a role in supporting that, which is why I decided to join, wanting to compete in AI x communication.

In the era of large-scale generated AI, rather than being the one whose job is taken away, I want to be the one who takes away. Changing the future of advertising.

ー Zeals is using communication AI, but did you have any experience with AI during your job hunting?

Right during my job search, ChatGPT became a hot topic. I have an interest in the latest tech, so I tried using it while writing my entry sheet, but at that time, the performance was not very good at all. Honestly, I couldn’t make good use of it. However, as I interacted with it more, I got the hang of it, and now I'm creating prompts to make various tasks easier (laughs).

In my case, I like cutting-edge tech in general, so when NFT and blockchain were trending, I also tried various things.

ー You were keeping a keen eye on the latest technology. In this era called the age of large-scale generated AI, how do you think about your career?

I often hear news about "what percentage of people will have their jobs taken by AI," but I want to be on the side that takes away, not the side that is taken away. That’s why I think I should go to companies that are leading the development of cutting-edge tech. When you hear "taking away," it might sound negative, but I believe a future awaits where we can focus on the work humans should do. Tasks that are cumbersome and don’t necessarily need to be done by humans should be entrusted to AI. Jobs that only humans can do should be done by humans. I'm very interested in how to balance the coexistence of humans and AI.

ー It's innovative to have that idea from the start of your career. Is there anything you want to realize using communication AI at Zeals?

In simple terms, I want to "eliminate advertising."

I want to eliminate "advertising," which is currently served by various keywords and targeting, from the world. I want to create a world where, when a person feels a desire to purchase something, they can communicate with AI and truly buy what they want. I believe that can be realized through Zeals' products.

In addition, I think many of the current jobs can be replaced by AI. I think we are at a turning point where internal work will change significantly, so I want to brainstorm together on how to increase productivity and work better.

ー Bet on Paradox, right? Aren't you afraid of breaking what you’ve built?

I am the type who wants to break what I have created. I think it’s not good to be too attached to things. Of course, it’s important to discern the essence. Technology is evolving every day. I'm excited about the possibility of creating new things along with AI without being left behind by AI technology. I want to leave behind significant achievements to the point where I can look back and laugh, thinking, "I wasted my time back then!"