Known as Japan’s "god of management,” the Panasonic icon is one of the most respected by the Japanese business community. The idea is that if he comes back to life in digital form he can impart wisdom directly to those he never met in person.

"As the number of people who received training directly from Matsushita has been on the decline, we decided to use generative AI technology to pass down our group’s founding vision to the next generation,” the company said in a statement.

Codeveloped with the University of Tokyo-affiliated Matsuo Institute, the model can reproduce how a person thinks or talks. The company aims to further develop the digital clone to help make business decisions in the future.

Matsushita, who died in 1989, pushed the company to become a leader in consumer electronics, and is often picked as one of the most respected Japanese business leaders of all time. His book "The Path" is regularly seen as a must-read for businesspeople in the land of the rising sun.