Digital Arts to make "Generative AI" category a standard i-FILTER series filter category from December 23
— Easily block generative AI websites or allow specific generative AI —

Information security solutions provider Digital Arts Inc. (headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan; CEO: Toshio Dogu; hereinafter referred to as "Digital Arts "; Code 2326) is pleased to announce that it will add a "Generative AI" category to its filtering software series i-FILTER*1. The addition hopes to bolster security against generative AI, which is continuing to grow in popularity among businesses and the public.
By combining this with the AI Chat Filter already included in the i-FILTER series, Digital Arts will ensure that companies, local governments, and schools have the proper security needed for generated AI. We also hope to further contribute to creating safe environments for use, improving productivity, and promoting learning.

The possible challenges posed by the increase in generative AI users

Generative AI can produce sentences and other forms of text that were previously difficult for conventional AI to produce. These new AI developments are expected to increase the efficiency of various tasks, such as creating documents. Generative AI is being increasingly used within Japan as well. A recent survey by ICT Research & Consulting (see below) estimated that 19.24 million people have used AI in 2024. That number is expected to reach 37.6 million by the end of 2027.

However, generative AI also comes with its own set of problems when used by companies and government agencies, namely confidential and personal information leaks. Additionally, there have also been concerns about its impact on learning at schools. It has also created the important issue of stopping generative AI shadow IT wherein employees use equipment and services not managed or controlled by their company.

*1　i-FILTER series: i-FILTER, i-FILTER@Cloud, i-FILTER@Cloud GIGA School Edition, i-FILTER Browser & Cloud.

Enhance i-FILTER generative AI security measures

In the latest i-FILTER update, a generative AI category has been added for security. This new category makes it possible to block or allow generative AI services.
With other web security products, when mass blocking AI, the URLs of each generative AI service need to be added. However, with i-FILTER's generative AI category, all generative AI services can be blocked at once. Additionally, using the existing web service control feature, organizations can easily allow specific generative AI services that they have approved.

Further promoting the secure use of smart generative AI

In 2023, Digital Arts developed the generative AI security feature AI Chat Filter and made it come standard with all i-FILTER series products. The feature made it possible to control what words and content are given to generative AI. It also offers graphs of usage data and displays a warning when accessing AI services.
The i-FILTER series also utilizes a filtering database with a high degree of accuracy and coverage (99.85%*2). The database is compiled by registering and categorizing the URLs of Japanese websites that show up in search engines, including the URLs of their content.
It also covers generative AI services used within Japan and will continue to add any new generative AI services launched in the future to maintain the same level of coverage and provide a well-balanced secure and stress-free service.
Digital Arts hopes to continue to provide security products that tackle key social issues to ensure the safe and easy use of both AI and the internet at large.

*2 As of end of January 2024