Why Can’t Japan’s Large Companies “Change Their Businesses” Even When They Use AI? Cybozu Surveys 551 Companies (ITmedia Enterprise)

Among Japan's major corporations, companies promoting and using AI across the organization account for the largest share, at 60%, followed by those using it within departments or for specific tasks at 25% and those at the proof-of-concept (PoC) stage at 8%. Combined, more than 90% are undertaking some form of AI initiative. The survey suggests that the extent of enterprise-wide adoption varies considerably.

The largest group, at 24%, is companies where AI users account for 40% to less than 60% of all employees, followed by 23% where they account for 20% to less than 40% and 14% where they account for 80% or more. The extent of AI adoption varies widely from company to company.

The most common uses of AI are document preparation, email drafting and meeting-minutes preparation, at 83%, followed by information gathering and summarization at 66% and data analysis and report preparation at 52%. The results indicate that AI adoption tends to spread from routine information processing and document preparation.

Companies that have formulated an AI adoption strategy in some form account for 63%. Strategies are shared company-wide at 37% of companies, understood by some employees at 14%, and embedded across the organization at 12%. In terms of implementation structures, 45% execute initiatives in line with policies set by management, while 27% have management taking the lead, for a combined 72%.

There is a strong correlation between the degree of management involvement and the status of AI adoption. Enterprise-wide promotion and use reach 90% at companies where management takes the lead, compared with 23% at companies where management involvement is limited. Greater management involvement appears to make it easier to roll out AI across the organization.