MarkLines Co., Ltd., a leading automotive industry information platform, has announced the launch of its “MarkLines Gen-AI Beta Version,” a new artificial intelligence-powered feature designed specifically for business-to-business users in the automotive sector.
The new tool enables users to pose questions in natural language and receive immediate access to relevant data from MarkLines’ extensive automotive database. The system simultaneously provides analytical insights by processing information across the platform’s comprehensive content library.
According to the company, this service represents a first-of-its-kind offering in Japan’s B2B space, with limited comparable examples globally. The feature is available at no additional charge to corporate members of the MarkLines information platform.
Dual-Function Approach
The Gen-AI feature distinguishes itself through a two-part response structure. The “Data” section presents the most relevant proprietary information from MarkLines’ database, while the “Analysis” section generates text-based explanations by cross-referencing search results.
This approach addresses a common limitation of publicly available generative AI tools, which often struggle to provide the detailed, accurate data required by automotive industry professionals.
Comprehensive Content Coverage
MarkLines’ content spans multiple domains within the automotive sector, including market trends such as sales volumes and model changes, technological developments like advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and electric vehicle powertrains, supply chain relationships between automakers and suppliers, and industry developments through news and technical reports.
The new feature enables cross-searching across these diverse content areas, allowing users to obtain comprehensive answers through a single query interface.
The system supports queries and responses in over 60 languages, including English, Japanese, and Chinese. Answers are provided in the same language as the query, facilitating international use.
Technical Foundation
MarkLines developed the Gen-AI feature using Large Language Model (LLM) and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) technologies. The RAG technology enables precise retrieval and extraction of relevant information from the company’s database in response to user queries, while the LLM performs cross-sectional analysis and summarization of the information.
For example, when a user asks about expected growth regions for the electric vehicle market, the system extracts relevant information from MarkLines’ proprietary datasets and generates a written overview based on the latest news and reports.
The company emphasized that by leveraging its unique datasets—unavailable to general-purpose generative AI systems—the platform can provide industry-specific insights without requiring users to possess specialized knowledge or perform complex search operations.
MarkLines cited the widespread adoption of generative AI technology as the catalyst for developing this specialized tool. The company recognized an opportunity to combine its extensive automotive industry database with advanced AI capabilities to serve professionals seeking reliable, industry-specific information.
The feature launches as a beta version, with MarkLines planning continuous improvements based on user feedback. The company aims to work toward releasing an official version while enhancing the system’s accuracy and expanding its ability to provide specialized, high-quality answers.
MarkLines Co., Ltd. is headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo, with Makoto Sakai serving as President and CEO.