Why Japan’s AI Adoption Is Lagging Behind the US and Other Major Economies

In Japan, companies seem to be taking a cautious approach to artificial intelligence, with more than 80% yet to fully integrate the technology into their operations. 

A Reuters survey of 219 companies that responded out of 510 contacted found that around six in 10 are using AI only in certain parts of their operations. Another 18% are still deciding whether to introduce the technology into the workplace, while 6% said they are not considering adoption. 

That leaves only 16% of the companies surveyed that have deployed AI across their operations as an integral tool. 

The responses also show what limited AI adoption looks like in practice. One manager at a wholesaler told Reuters that the company had started using AI across the business, but mainly for tasks such as creating documents. 

A real estate company official, meanwhile, said the company still did not know how to put AI to use. 

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Japan is still behind other major economies 

The cautious approach comes as Japan tries to deal with labour shortages, an ageing population and long-standing productivity challenges, all areas where AI could potentially help companies do more with fewer workers. Yet Japan's workplace AI adoption remains behind several other major economies.