KEY POINTSAIsmiley and MMD survey shows 26.8% of Japanese companies use AI across at least some departments68.0% of respondents involved in company AI rollout report implementation and use are going wellClear business goals, data preparation and internal rules rank among the most common traits of successful AI adoption
A July survey of 15,161 employees and 400 AI-involved respondents found 68.0% of corporate AI adopters report successful implementation. Photo by Becomes Co on Unsplash
Becomes Co
AIsmiley operator AIsmiley Inc. and research firm MMD Labo released a survey on August 7 showing that 26.8% of companies in Japan have introduced artificial intelligence at an organizational level across at least some departments.
The survey also found that 68.0% of respondents at companies that had already introduced AI organizationally, and where respondents were personally involved in the rollout or use, said their companies’ AI implementation and utilization were going well. Another 24.8% said efforts were not going well, while 7.3% said they did not know.
The findings were based on a preliminary survey of 15,161 company employees aged 20 to 69 and a main survey of 400 people whose employers had introduced AI on an organizational basis and who were involved in its adoption or use. The survey was conducted from July 10 to July 14.
In the broader employee survey, 31.0% said they did not know the scope of AI adoption at their companies, while 20.6% said AI use was not permitted. A further 18.1% said AI had been introduced and was being used company-wide.
Among 99 respondents who said AI adoption at their companies was not going well, the most frequently cited factor was that the scope of work where AI would be used had not been clearly defined, at 19.2%. That was followed by unclear business issues the company wanted AI to solve, at 16.2%, and an inability to measure results and make improvements after introduction, at 15.2%.
Among 272 respondents who said AI adoption was going well, the most common preparations before introduction were organizing the business issues to be solved by AI, at 35.3%, organizing necessary data and internal information, at 34.9%, and clarifying the purpose of introducing AI, at 32.4%.
For post-deployment penetration and retention, 41.5% of the successful group said their companies had established usage rules and guidelines, 37.9% had conducted internal training sessions or study meetings, and 34.9% had reviewed rules covering security, legal and compliance issues.
Japan has been encouraging corporate digital transformation in recent years, while generative AI tools have widened interest in business use cases ranging from document drafting to customer support and internal knowledge management. The survey suggests that adoption remains uneven, with a sizable share of employees either unaware of company policy or working at companies that do not permit AI use.
AIsmiley operates an AI-focused portal site in Japan. The release says the portal carries more than 500 products and attracts 3 million page views a month.