Perplexity AI and National Health Foundation Form Strategic Alliance for Next-Generation Medical AI Infrastructure Development in Japan

Perplexity AI, Inc. (Headquarters: San Francisco, USA; Co-founder & CEO: Aravind Srinivas; Asia Representative: Shun Morita; hereinafter "Perplexity AI"), which operates the AI answer engine "Perplexity," and National Health Foundation (Representative Director & Chairman: Tadahisa Kagimoto; hereinafter "NHF") are pleased to announce the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) regarding a strategic partnership for the development of next-generation medical AI infrastructure in Japan.

Through this partnership, Perplexity aims to provide its advanced AI technology to the Japanese medical field, supporting the realization of accurate, convenient, and patient-centric healthcare services. The objective is to technologically support NHF's framework, which respects and maintains "data sovereignty" within Japan.

Background of the Partnership: Supporting Japan's Medical Infrastructure with World-Class AI Technology

Perplexity aims to contribute to the construction of a sustainable medical system by addressing challenges such as declining birthrates, aging population, and shortages of medical professionals.

Perplexity respects NHF's policy of managing medical LLMs and data under Japanese governance and promotes collaboration with domestic models developed with the support of the Cabinet Office and NEDO. By combining the "safety" guaranteed by domestic models with its own "high answer accuracy and usability," Perplexity will accelerate the establishment of a unique Japanese medical AI platform that balances data security and world-class medical experience.

Secure AI Supporting Data Sovereignty in Japan

As a neutral platform, Perplexity provides Japan with access to the world's most advanced AI models, enabling the government, industry, and society to adopt optimal technologies while maintaining national control over data. Within the framework of the National Health Foundation, Japanese personal data will not be transmitted to Perplexity but will be strictly protected within Japan's trusted environment. Perplexity does not use customer data for training its AI models, and as it is not a model development company, it has no incentive to do so. Furthermore, it strictly adheres to a "zero-retention (no data retention)" approach. This approach allows Japan to securely protect its citizens' personal data, confidently promote AI utilization, and accelerate domestic innovation.

Key Collaboration Items

Based on this Letter of Intent, both parties will proceed with discussions and collaborations in the following areas:

- Design and advancement of domestic medical AI infrastructure in Japan - Construction of a collaboration model between domestic medical LLMs and cutting-edge overseas AI - Development of services utilizing Personal Health Records (PHR) - Implementation of health navigation functions for patients - Development of decision support tools for medical professionals - Promotion of demonstration projects with local governments and hospitals - Development of medical AI services equipped with safety, accuracy, and explainability

Comments from Both Representatives

Tadahisa Kagimoto, Representative Director & Chairman, National Health Foundation

"National health information is national security itself in the coming era. That is why it is crucial to properly manage the core of medical data and AI infrastructure within Japan. Furthermore, collaborating with world-class technology to deliver the best medical services to the Japanese people is important.

Our medical LLM is a domestic infrastructure strategically developed with the support of the Cabinet Office and NEDO. This partnership is a symbolic initiative that achieves both Japan's sovereignty and world-leading technology. We will continue to manage our operations with the aim of providing sustainable and high-quality medical care to the Japanese people."

Dmitry Shevelenko, Chief Business Officer (CBO), Perplexity AI, Inc.

"We are honored to collaborate with the National Health Foundation to support the development of medical AI in Japan. Our role is to provide trusted access to the world's best AI models in a secure manner, ensuring that data is not passed to frontier models. Perplexity does not train its own frontier models, so we do not use customer data for model training. Our 'zero-retention (no data retention)' approach further ensures that confidential data is not stored for any purpose. We expect our innovative AI technology to contribute to Japanese patients, medical professionals, and society as a whole, leading to the provision of more reliable and user-friendly medical information."

About Perplexity

Perplexity is an AI company that builds accurate AI-based products and services. Established in 2022, its mission is to "power the world's curiosity."