Yokosuka City Launches Hybrid AI Counseling Service AI-chan
Yokosuka, which became the first local government in Japan to introduce ChatGPT citywide in April 2023, has now implemented this AI counseling service in its operations, marking a concrete step in its generative AI-driven administrative transformation.
Reporting from 1 source: ASCII.jp.
Tsunagari AI Inc. began providing the hybrid counseling service Yokosuka AI Friend AI-chan on July 31, 2026, under a commission from Yokosuka City. The service combines a 24/7 AI companion with professional counselors to address loneliness and isolation among citizens, supporting about 100 languages.
The service is designed to lower the barrier to seeking help by positioning AI-chan as a friend rather than a counselor. Users can start with casual conversation at any time, and cases requiring specialized support are connected to human professionals holding qualifications such as clinical psychologists and public health nurses.
Tsunagai AI cites research by Associate Professor Atsushi Nakagomi of Chiba University suggesting that conversational AI companions may improve subjective well-being, especially for people with high loneliness. The service also supports about 100 languages, with English receiving the same level of support as Japanese, a feature aimed at Yokosuka's international community, including residents near the U.S. military base.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.