LINE Yahoo held a generative AI utilization seminar and parent-exchange meeting on May 26, 2026 [1] for employees on maternity or paternity leave.

The initiative addresses the rapid pace of technological change that can create a skill gap for workers away from the office. By providing AI training during leave, the company intends to ease anxiety regarding return-to-work transitions and support long-term career formation.

During the event, speaker Mina Kagawa, an employee of LINE Yahoo, addressed the growing divide between those who can quickly adapt to AI and those who cannot. She said that a gap is widening between people who are technically strong and can leverage AI and those who are not.

Kagawa encouraged parents to interact with the latest AI tools in their daily lives, even outside of a professional context. She said that while employees do not need to panic, the speed of evolution is so fast that they should continue touching the latest AI for things like childcare.

As a practical example, Kagawa suggested using AI to manage household tasks. She said that users could try ordering the AI to create a week of baby food menus and send them every morning at 9 a.m. to better understand the limitations, and risks, of the technology.

The seminar combined technical instruction with a social exchange for parents. This dual approach aims to provide both the digital tools and the emotional support necessary for a smooth transition back to the workforce in an AI-driven environment.

“A gap is widening between people who are technically strong and can leverage AI and those who are not.”

This initiative reflects a corporate shift toward treating parental leave not just as a period of absence, but as a phase of continuous professional development. As generative AI fundamentally alters job descriptions in real-time, the risk of 'skill decay' during leave becomes a tangible business and employee welfare issue. By integrating AI literacy into parental support, LINE Yahoo is attempting to prevent a new form of professional inequality based on life stages.