According to an AWS survey, AI adoption among Japanese companies reached 54%, up from the previous year. Companies at the most transformative stage accounted for 19%, while talent shortages were identified as a challenge even as the number of advanced users continued to grow.
AI adoption among Japanese companies reached 54%, with 1.98 million companies having already adopted AI. The survey was commissioned from Strand Partners and conducted among Japanese business leaders and the general public.
Companies at the most transformative stage accounted for 19%, while 60% remained at the basic-use or operational-efficiency stage and 17% were at the intermediate stage. Advanced use was reported by 34% of startups, 24% of large companies and 17% of SMEs.
As for the benefits of adoption, 81% reported productivity gains and 55% reported increased revenue. 44% of companies said they had achieved returns exceeding their initial investment. 44% expected to continue using multiple tools within the next 12 months, while 56% expected industry transformation within five years.
Only 18% of companies said they were fully or very well prepared to adopt next-generation AI. The largest barrier was a lack of skills, cited by 41%, followed by technology and data issues at 29% and a shortage of internal staff at 27%.