Catalog House Withdraws from Rakuten Over AI Military Drone Partnership

A mail-order catalog pulled out of Rakuten's mall over the Helsing AI attack-drone deal. The protest constituency now includes housewares publishers.

Catalog House, publisher of "Tsuhan Seikatsu," withdrew its online store from Rakuten in protest of Rakuten's partnership with German defense tech firm Helsing to support the introduction of AI-powered attack drones to Japan's Ministry of Defense. The move reflects ethical concerns over the potential harm of AI-enabled military technology.

See the full article