SMBCコンサルティング conducted a survey of participants in its “Training for Everyone” program and tabulated 3,706 responses. While the use of generative AI is spreading widely for work and learning, the results indicate a tendency to view generative AI as effective for foundational knowledge, and interpersonal, face-to-face methods as effective for judgment and management.
SMBCコンサルティング announced that it had conducted a survey of participants in the SMBC Business Seminar “Training for Everyone,” asking how they learn the knowledge and skills needed for work and about their use of generative AI, and had received 3,706 formally valid responses. The survey was conducted from 19 August to 30 September 2026 among participants in face-to-face seminars.
The first finding was that 43.1% of respondents use generative AI at work almost every day and 26.3% use it several times a week, meaning that a total of 69.4% use it at least several times a week. Among the methods used for learning during the past three months, generative AI was the most common at 57.3%, ahead of web searches and web articles at 40.4%.
The second finding was that the learning method considered most suitable differs by subject. Generative AI was the most common choice for acquiring foundational knowledge, at 38.6%; supervisors and colleagues were the most common choice for judgment and decision-making, at 38.3%; and face-to-face training was the most common choice for management and developing subordinates, at 39.0%. The share choosing interpersonal, face-to-face methods reached 73.8% for judgment and 81.4% for management.
The third finding was that an analysis limited to people who use generative AI routinely also showed no change in the tendency for generative AI to remain the main method for foundational knowledge, while interpersonal, face-to-face methods remained central for judgment and decision-making and for management. In light of these trends, the survey indicated the view that businesspeople should choose appropriate learning methods according to their roles and the tasks they face.
The survey overview states that the survey was conducted by SMBCコンサルティング株式会社, covered participants in “Training for Everyone,” ran from 19 August to 30 September 2026, and received 3,706 formally valid responses.