Japan’s Igaku-Shoin, NTT, and NTT DOCOMO BUSINESS will begin testing a medical AI information platform with healthtech startup Ubie in November 2026. The trial will take place at NTT Medical Center Tokyo. It will assess whether AI can help healthcare professionals access reliable medical information during clinical work.
How the partners will work
The three companies began developing the platform in April 2026. Igaku-Shoin provides evidence-based medical content, while NTT contributes AI research and development. NTT DOCOMO BUSINESS handles platform operations and technical integration, and Ubie supplies its generative AI service for medical institutions.
The companies behind the trial
Founded in 1944, Igaku-Shoin publishes medical books, journals, and digital resources for healthcare professionals. Ubie is led by co-CEOs Yoshinori Abe and Kota Kubo, who co-founded the Tokyo-based healthtech company. NTT Medical Center Tokyo will provide the testing environment and collect feedback from healthcare professionals.
How the platform works
Clinicians will use Ubie Generative AI to ask medical questions directly from electronic medical record terminals. The platform will search Igaku-Shoin’s medical content and return answers with supporting information and sources. The trial will assess response reliability, ease of use, and potential reductions in information retrieval time.
Following the trial, the partners plan to improve the platform and expand its use to other medical institutions. They aim to support cloud, private network, and on-premises deployments to meet different security requirements. Future development may also incorporate NTT’s tsuzumi language model and deeper integration with electronic medical record systems.