A Workday survey found that while the use of task-based AI is advancing among Japanese companies, few have integrated AI into their core systems, leaving integration as a challenge to improving productivity.
The survey covered 6,100 people worldwide, including 200 in Japan. While 89% of employees said AI makes their daily work more efficient, only 73% said they feel they are making meaningful progress in their day-to-day work. Although AI adoption is helping improve efficiency at the operational level, challenges remain in translating those gains into outcomes and progress.
In Japan, 39% of respondents said AI is integrated into their company’s core systems, indicating that while task-based AI can improve efficiency in individual operations, its contribution to overall productivity remains limited. While 74% said AI has reduced the time required to complete tasks, the survey also highlighted that employees continue to spend time coordinating between operations and transferring information.
The survey points to the importance of integrating AI across end-to-end business processes if AI is to become a key driver of productivity gains. At companies that have integrated AI into their core systems, 65% said working hours had been reduced by more than 25%, compared with 36% at companies without such integration.
Going forward, AI is expected to handle information sharing between systems, enabling employees to focus on higher-value judgment, creativity and strategic planning. The survey suggests that people still need to serve as the link between systems.