SHIFT AI teaches the business use of generative AI through 110 courses, near-daily webinars, a Discord community with consultants and in-person events across Japan, on monthly, annual or lifetime plans.
SHIFT AI is a Japanese AI learning community focused on the business use of generative AI, combining video courses, webinars, in-person events and support from dedicated consultants. It is run by SHIFT AI Inc., founded on March 18, 2022 and based in Shibuya Scramble Square, Tokyo; CEO Shota Kiuchi earlier founded the one-to-one programming school SAMURAI ENGINEER in 2013.
Scale figures depend on the page. The site's search description cites more than 30,000 cumulative users, a number not shown in the visible homepage text checked here. The corporate site lists more than 13,000 paid members as of March 2025. The two measure different things at different times and are not a growth curve.
The homepage "No. 1 by number of users" label rests on an outside research firm's survey of cumulative registrations as of February 2025 that only covered company-run communities offering business-focused AI lectures.
Three facts shape the decision: the monthly plan is a one-year contract, leaving early costs a fee, and the company does not guarantee income.
Each generative AI course is one layer of the membership: recorded lessons cover the basics, webinars add current tools, and consultants help members choose what to study next.
The onboarding tools exist because the catalogue is large; members who skip them face the full catalogue with less direction.
Access timing differs by page: same day for card payments in the FAQ, next day at the earliest on the homepage, and within one business day in principle in the commercial disclosure.
The company's own survey of 2,731 seminar attendees as of April 2026 reports 82.5% satisfaction, alongside feedback that the seminar needs a solid block of time. The FAQ says the attendance bonus arrives by LINE and email the day after the post-seminar survey.
All examples below were selected by the company, which says the time to earn varies by person.
These are showcase stories, not averages for the membership.
The company names office workers, freelancers, business owners, homemakers, students and people in their fifties and sixties as typical members, plus companies training teams.
No app from SHIFT AI Inc. appeared in the app-store searches for this page.
SHIFT AI pricing has no initial fee, and every plan includes all videos, webinars, events and community features.
| Plan | Price (tax included) | Payment | Contract | 8-day refund |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly | 21,780 JPY per month (261,360 JPY per year) | Card only | One year, auto-renewing | No |
| Annual | 217,800 JPY per year | Card or bank transfer | One year, auto-renewing | Yes |
| Lifetime | 547,800 JPY once | Card or bank transfer | No end date | Yes |
Prices were listed as of February 2026, and the lifetime plan is not always offered. The monthly charge is an instalment of a one-year contract billed to a credit card. The lifetime plan includes every online camp, which other members pay for separately; the pricing page calls these offline camps in one line and online camps in another. Card payments can be split into instalments, and receipts can be issued in a company's name with an invoice number.
Special events with guest lecturers and outside tools such as ChatGPT Plus are not covered by the SHIFT AI fee.
Annual and lifetime members get a full refund if they contact the company within 8 days, counting enrolment as day 1; the monthly plan is excluded.
Leaving within the one-year term costs a SHIFT AI cancellation fee of 40% of remaining-term fees within 3 months, 20% within 7 months and 10% from the eighth month. The company's examples:
| Leave after | Annual plan | Monthly plan |
|---|---|---|
| 3 months | Fee 65,340 JPY, refund 98,010 JPY | 143,748 JPY total |
| 6 months | Fee 21,780 JPY, refund 87,120 JPY | 156,816 JPY total |
| 9 months | Fee 5,445 JPY, refund 49,005 JPY | 202,554 JPY total |
On early cancellation, monthly-plan instalments already paid are not refunded, and the fee is billed on top.
The fee is waived if the company's intent or gross negligence ends the service, or for serious illness or injury, loss of a home in a disaster, or public assistance or debt restructuring. Stopping renewal is free if the form is filed at least one month before the end date, so a May 31 exit needs an application by April 30.
Corporate reskilling courses cost 300,000 JPY per person excluding tax, split into 50,000 JPY of e-learning and 250,000 JPY of live training. They can be combined with Japan's Human Resources Development Support Subsidy via a partner firm, but the labour bureau decides each application and payment is not guaranteed. No subsidy statement appeared in the individual-membership pages checked here.
| Option | What you get | Check first |
|---|---|---|
| SHIFT AI | Videos, near-daily webinars, Discord consultants, events | One-year term on monthly and annual plans |
| DMM Generative AI Camp | About 1,000 lessons, AI tutor | Cancellation rules not verified here |
| Self-study | Free videos and posts | No curriculum or consultants |
Choose self-study if tool tutorials are enough. Consider another subscription school if the one-year term is the obstacle, but check its cancellation rules first; this page did not verify DMM's or Expa's terms.
As of February 2026, monthly is 21,780 JPY a month on a one-year contract, annual is 217,800 JPY and lifetime is 547,800 JPY when offered.
On the monthly and annual plans, yes, with a fee of 10% to 40% of the remaining-term fees. Annual and lifetime members can get a full refund within 8 days, and the lifetime plan otherwise allows exit only in listed cases.
No. The seminar is on Zoom, you can leave midway, and joining is optional.
Yes, with an internet connection, but the pages and contract are in Japanese.
No. The company describes it as an education service that does not guarantee monetisation, so results depend on your own effort and practice.
The corporate reskilling courses can be combined with a government training subsidy through a partner firm, but approval is decided per application and is not guaranteed.
