An OECD report places Japan's AI adoption rate at a low 8.4%, highlighting the country's lag behind other nations. Views have emerged that the cautiousness of Japanese companies is hindering progress in AI adoption.
The OECD report published last year put the rate of AI use in Japanese workplaces at 8.4%, compared with 50% in the United States and 32% in the United Kingdom. In Asia, Singapore recorded a weekly usage rate of 56%, showing regional differences in AI adoption.
Austin Hsu, co-founder of Kuse, identifies the conservative approach and risk-averse tendencies of Japanese companies as factors delaying AI adoption. He says tolerance for AI errors is low in customer service operations, and that some organizations avoid relying on machines to handle operations.
The government has indicated a policy of encouraging companies to expand investment through moderate regulation following the passage of the AI law. Japan's productivity is considered low among the G7, and the corporate AI adoption rate has risen from 11% five years ago to 75% currently. However, some critics say the range of employees actually using AI remains limited.
A shortage of IT talent has also been cited. A 2019 survey projected that Japan would face a shortage of approximately 800,000 IT professionals by 2030. While companies are placing greater emphasis on AI literacy when hiring new graduates, the adoption of AI capable of autonomously processing multiple steps remains limited.