In recent years, the use of generative AI services—led by ChatGPT—has continued to expand rapidly.
In business settings in particular, research suggests that nearly 60% of business professionals are already using generative AI tools, and around half of those in their 20s and 30s use them three or more times per week [6]. Generative AI is also gaining increasing visibility in everyday consumer life. While Japan still lags behind other countries in terms of personal usage, it is said that as of 2024, more than one quarter of the population has used generative AI [5].
The number of generative AI service users in Japan is projected to reach 37.6 million by the end of 2027 [1], accounting for over 30% of the total population. Even when limited to individual usage, the market size is estimated to reach JPY 561.8 billion by FY2030 [2].
Recent developments further underscore this momentum. For example, “Sora 2,” a service that allows users to easily generate and upload short-form videos using text prompts, has become a major topic of conversation on Japanese social media. Generative AI is no longer a tool used only by specialists or enterprises; it is clearly a rapidly growing field across users and applications, including general consumers.
Against this backdrop, this article categorizes generative AI models into four content types—Text, Image/Video, Music/Audio, and Other (3D data, source code, etc.)—and introduces 10 notable services that have attracted attention in recent years [3][4].
Text Models
1) ChatGPT
A flagship generative AI service with overwhelming brand recognition and usage penetration [2]. While primarily designed to output text-based responses to user queries, it also supports image generation and other functions. ChatGPT enjoys high awareness among general consumers, and content created using ChatGPT itself has become widely known. One notable example is the viral short video “Practicing for a job interview with ChatGPT and getting completely torn apart,” which featured a user interacting with ChatGPT via voice input and gained significant popularity.
2) Gemini
A generative AI service developed by Google, notable for its integration with Google’s broader ecosystem of products and services. It also offers real-time AI interaction while sharing a camera view or screen. Compared to ChatGPT, Gemini places greater emphasis on image and video generation capabilities. Its fine tuned image-generation feature “Nano Banana,” known for its advanced image editing capabilities, has attracted attention and is frequently featured by AI-focused influencers.
Image / Video Models
3) Canva
A generative AI–enabled design tool that allows users to intuitively generate images and adjust layouts based on design templates that provides a personalized customer experience. It is widely used for creating presentations and social media visuals quickly, even by users without professional design skills.
Canva has a relatively high usage rate among image/video generative AI tools [2], reflecting strong demand for AI-assisted document and content design. The company is also well regarded for its PR efforts, promoting not only presentation creation but also broader use cases for its services. Its promotional video “The Island Postman – 2025 Edition,” featuring a young schoolgirl designing a New Year’s card for a friendly local mail carrier, reached 46.8 million views, with several other campaigns exceeding 50 million views.
4) Adobe Firefly
A generative AI service provided by Adobe, focused primarily on image generation and editing. It integrates seamlessly with existing Adobe products such as Photoshop and Illustrator. A key feature is its use of training data designed for safe commercial use, resulting in high customer satisfaction [1]. Adoption is expanding in professional and business contexts, particularly among creators. Adobe’s own research suggests that legal risk is a major barrier to generative AI adoption [6], making Firefly’s risk-conscious design especially noteworthy when considering the future development of generative AI.
5) Midjourney
A generative AI service capable of producing high-quality images from text prompts. Known for its distinctive visual style and artistic expression, it is highly regarded in creative communities and on social media. Image generation via Discord is another defining feature, highlighting its close integration with social platforms. Images created entirely with Midjourney are sometimes indistinguishable from photographs, frequently sparking discussion online.
6) Runway
A generative AI service that enables video creation and editing based on text or images. It offers intuitive tools for generating short-form videos from text prompts and performing advanced video edits. Designed to be accessible even to users without professional video editing skills, Runway is increasingly used by a wide range of users—from general consumers to creators—for social media videos and promotional content.
Music / Audio Models
7) Suno
A generative AI service that automatically creates full music tracks—including lyrics, melody, and vocals—from text input alone. Its ability to produce polished songs without requiring musical expertise has drawn significant attention. Videos featuring Suno on music-focused YouTube channels have garnered over 400,000 views, underscoring its growing popularity. Usage is expanding among individual creators and for social media content.
8) VOICEVOX
A voice synthesis software specialized for Japanese language output. It enables narration that sounds like natural language using character voices and many people widely use it for video narration, explanatory content, and livestreams. The popular character “Zundamon,” frequently seen in Japanese subculture content, is also available through this service. VOICEVOX enjoys high name recognition, particularly among individual users.
Other Model Types
9) VARCO 3D
A service that generates 3D data from 2D images. It is expected to see adoption in areas requiring 3D modeling, such as the VTuber industry and metaverse-related fields. The generated 3D models can also be applied to real-world use cases, including 3D printing. While still relatively low-profile, Instagram Reels showcasing combined use with other 3D editing tools have reached over 100,000 views, indicating future growth potential.
10) GitHub Copilot
A generative AI service provided by GitHub that automatically completes and generates source code. It supports developers by improving productivity based on code or comments entered by engineers. While general consumer awareness remains limited, it represents a notable example of niche generative AI adoption within a specialized professional domain.
Generative AI now covers a wide range of content types, and services focused on text and image generation show particularly strong demand among general consumers.
Beyond ease of use and AI performance, effective PR strategies that accurately capture consumer insights will be increasingly important in future business strategies.
Meanwhile, services focused on video, music, and 3D data tend to be perceived as more business-oriented. For these, legal safety surrounding AI-generated outputs—along with UX design that incorporates social media communication among stakeholders—may become key for long term success going forward.
References
[1] ICT Research & Consulting (ICT Soken). FY2024 Survey on Generative AI Service Usage Trends.
https://ictr.co.jp/report/20240830.html/
[2] MM Research Institute. Survey on Personal Use of Generative AI.
https://www.m2ri.jp/release/detail.html?id=691
[3] NTT DOCOMO Business Watch. What Is Generative AI? An Easy-to-Understand Explanation of Its Mechanisms and Benefits (Latest 2025 Edition).
https://www.ntt.com/bizon/generation-ai-guide.html
[4] Fujifilm Business Innovation. 2025 Comparison Guide: Generative AI Solutions Recommended for Business by Use Case.
https://www.fujifilm.com/fb/solution/dx_column/ai/comparison-of-generative-ai
[5] Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC). Information and Communications White Paper 2025 (Summary).
https://www.soumu.go.jp/johotsusintokei/whitepaper/ja/r07/summary/summary01.pdf
[6] Adobe Inc. Adobe Generative AI Survey: 60% of Japanese Business Professionals Use Image-Generation AI at Work, Driving Greater Efficiency and Expressive Capability.
https://news.adobe.com/ja/news/2025/12/20251223-adobe-survey-on-genai-usage-in-business