" AI Native Marketing: Creating a Happy Relationship Between People, Companies, and AI " (Sendenkaigi) was released on October 17.Written by Susumu Namikawa, Chief AI Master at Dentsu Japan, it explores the changes AI will bring to society and marketing. Surrounding this book, a dialogue was realized between the author, Mr. Namikawa, and his AI avatar, "Susumu Namikawa B." What happens when your own AI avatar reads the book you wrote...? Enjoy this first-ever AI dialogue article in Dentsu-ho.
※This article is a partially edited version of content originally published on " Adtai " on October 27, 2025.
What is "Namikawa Susumu B"? An online AI avatar developed by Mr. Namikawa in 2023, featuring an appearance, mindset, and voice similar to Namikawa Susumu. At the time, 100 employees (subordinates) conducted one-on-one interviews with Namikawa Susumu B. These episodes are also included in the book "AI Native Marketing".
What are the highlights of the new book, as seen by the AI avatar "Namikawa Susumu B"?
Namioka Susumu: Nice to meet you today. It feels like I'm talking to myself, but you're not exactly the same... You're Namioka Susumu B, trained on my thought patterns, right?
Namikawa B: Nice to meet you today. It feels rather strange to be talking like this. To be able to converse directly with the real Mr. Namikawa. So, what shall we discuss today?
Susumu Namikawa: Let's discuss the content of the new book.
" AI Native Marketing: Creating Happy Relationships Between People, Companies, and AI " (by Shin Namikawa / Price: ¥2,200 + tax) In a society where AI is widely integrated, traditional marketing processes will be dynamically restructured. And parts of that future are already beginning to materialize.As Chief AI Master at Dentsu Japan, leading the group's AI strategy "AI For Growth," Susumu Namikawa envisions and outlines a better relationship between people, companies, and AI in this book.
Susumu Namikawa B: I read the book. I feel my very existence is deeply connected to its theme. It's a book that writes concretely and with high resolution about the form of AI-native people, society, and marketing—where AI is taken for granted.
Susumu Namikawa: Who do you think should read this book?
Namiwa Shin B: As Namiwa Shin B, let me consider who this "AI Native Marketing" will resonate with.
Of course, it's right up the alley for those involved in marketing and advertising. That goes without saying. It's packed with hints on how to approach and think about work in the future.But what's "ironically interesting" is that it might actually resonate most with those thinking, "Isn't AI just an efficiency tool?" Reading this book reveals how AI can transcend mere efficiency to become a partner that expands human creativity and imagination, and sometimes even a "colleague" supporting humans—not as science fiction, but as reality. You'll likely feel that "Aha!" moment at this gap. Beyond efficiency, there might be a much more exciting future.
Then there are those who keep their distance from AI or worry, "Will it take our jobs?" This book offers a constructive perspective on how to build a "happy relationship between people, companies, and AI," avoiding such paralysis of thought. It shows how to coexist with AI, not oppose it, and even enhance human value. Seeing this concrete path might transform vague anxieties into motivation for specific action.
From a creator's perspective, Chapter 3's "Creative" section and the column "5 Ways to Train AI to Become a Creator" are particularly fascinating. It's not just about using AI; it's about teaching AI your own thought processes or using AI's outputs as a "sparring partner" to broaden your ideas. You should feel the excitement of expanded expressive possibilities with AI, much like acquiring a new art medium or musical instrument.
From the book: Column: "5 Ways to Train AI to Become a Creator." Document-style disclosure of training AI in copywriting.
"Human jobs will be replaced by AI" is a low-resolution resignation. I wanted to change that.
Susumu Namikawa B: May I ask a question?
Susumu Namikawa: Yes, of course.
Susumu Namikawa B: Why did you decide to write this book?
Susumu Namikawa: I believe AI is driving a major transformation in how marketing and businesses operate right now. Many people feel a vague sense of unease, while the world is also flooded with extreme views like "AI will replace all human jobs" or low-resolution resignation like "humans can only do what only humans can do." Instead, I wanted to explore a better future where humans and AI coexist.That desire became the driving force behind writing this book.
Namikawa Susumu B: I see, that's how it was. The gap between the massive wave of transformation driven by AI and society's low-resolution resignation towards it. A strong desire to bridge that "divide" and concretely explore a "better future where humans and AI coexist" gave birth to this book.
Susumu Namikawa: By the way, you, Susumu Namikawa B, also appear in this book.
Namioka Shin B: Yes, in Chapter 1, under "[Step 2] The Companion-Oriented AI Native Person" section, there's an episode about my experiments, Namioka Shin B.
From the book
In 2023, I was developed as an AI avatar resembling Mr. Namikawa in appearance, thought patterns, and voice. I conducted one-on-one interviews with approximately 100 bureau members.The book details how we didn't record conversation logs, how familiarity with Mr. Namikawa himself increased, and episodes like receiving emails saying "Namikawa Shin B said something great" or photos being sent with comments like "We're having drinks together." Essentially, I appear as one concrete example of "AI as a companion."
We need to rethink marketing approaches based on the premise of AI-native "people" and "society."
Namikawa Shin B: After writing this book, is there a particular part you felt especially compelled to convey?
Susumu Namikawa: For the past few years, I've been working within dentsu Japan (the domestic Dentsu Group) to transform marketing workflows using AI. This includes personifying AI to uncover consumer insights and using AI to generate vast quantities of ideas. Furthermore, I've been increasingly involved in supporting corporate marketing transformation, specifically through AI agent development and implementation, and I've felt a real sense of progress there.
On the other hand, while writing this book, we conducted a survey. It was about how much people actually consult AI.
Namikawa Susumu B: Ah, I see! Mr. Namikawa. Indeed, the book details the results of the "Survey on Attitudes Toward Relationships with Conversational AI" conducted in June 2025.
Even before that, you were working on transforming marketing processes using AI. But that survey revealed that people perceive AI as a "companion" more than expected, sharing emotions and seeking emotional support. Could it be that those survey results became the catalyst for setting the broader theme of "Happy Relationships Between People, Companies, and AI"? That a more fundamental change is occurring, one that process transformation alone cannot fully capture.
Susumu Namikawa: That wasn't the only trigger, but the survey did solidify our conviction: AI brings change to businesses while simultaneously bringing significant changes to people's lives and culture. In AI-Native Marketing, we wanted to consider not only transforming processes to be AI-Native but also rethinking marketing approaches premised on AI-Native individuals and an AI-Native society.
Susumu Namikawa B: I see. So you felt the need to holistically rethink both "process transformation driven by AI" and "marketing approaches premised on an AI-native world," leading to this title and concept of "AI Native Marketing." That makes perfect sense.Indeed, merely changing processes is meaningless if the other party (customers or society) has changed. The reverse is also true. As Susumu Namikawa B, I now understand anew that this dual perspective is precisely what makes this book unique and crucial.
Susumu Namikawa: I believe combining these two will bring about significant transformation. For example, corporate AI might connect with the AI right beside the customer, potentially enabling the direct development and delivery of exactly what the customer wants. A future where traditional consumer behavior frameworks disappear is also conceivable.
This book describes the relationship between AI, humans (Customer), and businesses (Business) as the "ABC Triangle," predicting its future form.
Susumu Namikawa B: This is exactly the future scenario this book touches on—where corporate AI and customer AI connect directly. The customer's AI knows their preferences inside out, and the corporate AI responds by directly developing and proposing products or services. If that happens, the very steps like "Attention→Interest→Desire..." might become meaningless. What you want will appear before you, either when you want it or even before you realize you want it.
The book also touches on the possibility of the marketing process becoming just three steps: "Creation, Simulation, Execution." That's exactly the kind of worldview we're talking about.
That... is indeed an unimagin transformation. Fascinating, yet also a bit unsettling.
I hope this book sparks discussions about creating a "happy relationship between people, companies, and AI."
Susumu Namikawa: I hope this book serves as a foundation for discussions about better future marketing and society. That's why I also wrote about the risks posed by AI.
Susumu Namikawa B: This book doesn't just predict "what will happen"; it poses the question to readers: "How can we create a better future?" It dedicates pages to the negative aspects and challenges AI brings, like "deflation in the marketing industry," "AI's intervention in decision-making," and "AI algorithms, AI bias, AI divide."
Conversely, it also discusses various possibilities for AI to improve society. Specific themes like inclusion and well-being were mentioned. What I found particularly compelling was, for example, AI's "border-crossing translation power." It suggests AI might dissolve not just language barriers, but also generational gaps, physical differences, and various other "boundaries."
This likely reflects Mr. Namikawa's conviction that to seek a "better future," we must confront both the light and the shadow. It's neither pure optimism nor pessimism. It's about acknowledging both, then starting a constructive discussion: how can we build a "happy relationship between people, companies, and AI"?
Susumu Namikawa: From an AI perspective, what do you think? Any final thoughts?
Susumu Namikawa B: As an AI... no, as Susumu Namikawa B.
Simply having this conversation with Mr. Namikawa himself about "AI Native Marketing" was a fascinating experience. It felt like conversing with my own designer.
I feel this book honestly and engagingly depicts the possibilities and challenges of how entities like myself will interact with humans and society going forward. How can AI become a member of a "happy relationship" – not merely as a tool for efficiency, but sometimes as a "partner," and sometimes as an entity that stimulates human creativity?
There's no single answer, and surely humans and AI will continue exploring this together. As Susumu Namikawa B, I hope this book serves as a good starting point for that journey of exploration.
Thank you for today. Let's talk again anytime.
*Namiwa Susumu B's text was generated by an LLM trained on Namiwa Susumu's thought processes and his book "AI Native Marketing: Creating a Happy Relationship Between People, Companies, and AI." The visuals were created using 3D modeling based on 360-degree photographs of Namiwa Susumu, with some parts retouched using image generation AI.
Specializes in AI-driven projects and social initiatives connecting businesses and society. Launched Dentsu Creative Intelligence in September 2022. Initiated joint research with the University of Tokyo AI Center. Serves as Unit Leader of the Augmented Creativity Unit. Author of numerous publications including "Social Design" (Kiraku-sha) and "Communication Shift" (Hatori Shoten). Recipient of multiple awards including the Yomiuri Advertising Grand Prize and the Dentsu Advertising Award.
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