Saitama Prefecture: Joint Use of Generative AI by Local Governments and Other Organizations in the Prefecture

From April 2026, Saitama Prefecture will commence the joint use of generative AI among local governments and other organizations within the prefecture.

Saitama Prefecture has established a specialized subcommittee within the Saitama Prefectural Municipal DX Promotion Network, which consists of the prefecture and all cities and towns within the prefecture, to work on the joint utilization of new technologies such as AI. As the fourth service following the previously introduced voice-to-text service, AI-OCR service, and chat tool, we will implement the joint use of generative AI.

By utilizing services jointly, it is expected that services can be used at a lower cost than individual introductions, leading to reduced introduction and operational costs for each local government and organization, and further promotion of digitalization and operational efficiency.

1. Overview To enable local governments within the prefecture to use products that are already being introduced at a lower cost, the prefecture will consolidate local governments and other organizations wishing to participate in joint use, conclude agreements with service providers, and commence joint use from April 2026.

2. Jointly Used Product 自治体AI zevo (Shift Plus Co., Ltd.) *A generative AI service that can also be used in the LGWAN environment, a dedicated network for local governments.

3. Participating Organizations (Planned) 15 organizations (Kumagaya City, Tokorozawa City, Higashimatsuyama City, Fukaya City, Soka City, Warabi City, Toda City, Asaka City, Shiki City, Kuki City, Kitamoto City, Fujimi City, Sakado City, Yoshikawa City, Ina Town)

4. Agreement Partner Shift Plus Co., Ltd.

《Reference》Saitama Prefecture's Joint Use Service Participation Status 1. Voice-to-text Service that uses AI to transcribe audio data and create meeting minutes. 18 organizations at the start of joint use (June 2021) → 34 organizations (March 2026)

2. AI-OCR Service that uses AI to convert handwritten characters into text and create a database. 9 organizations at the start of joint use (June 2021) → 21 organizations (March 2026)

3. Chat Tool Cloud-based chat specialized for LGWAN, a dedicated network for local governments. 24 organizations at the start of joint use (April 2023) → 44 organizations (March 2026)

5. Contact Information Planning and Finance Department, Administrative and Digital Reform Division, DX Promotion Section Direct line: 048-830-2442 E-mail: a2440-11@pref.saitama.lg.jp