As generative AI has spread since 2022, companies have increasingly adopted it, but only 9% of Japanese companies said its performance “far exceeded expectations,” a low level compared with the US and other countries. Based on the findings of a PwC Japan Group survey and commentary from experts, this article assesses the current state.
As generative AI adoption continues to spread, Japanese companies continue to rate its performance lower than companies in other countries. According to a survey by PwC Japan Group of approximately 3,000 people at target companies, 87% of respondents in Japan said they were using or promoting the use of generative AI, while only 9% said its performance “far exceeded expectations.” The figure was 38% in the US, 32% in the UK, and in the 10% range in China, Germany and South Korea, making Japan the lowest.
Miyoshi Shimpei (三善心平), a PwC Consulting partner, points out that although more people at Japanese companies have recently said AI has “produced results,” the percentage saying it “far exceeded expectations” remains low, indicating that AI adoption overall has stalled. In addition, the percentage of Japanese companies linking the benefits of AI use to improvements in employee treatment and financial returns from customer services is lower than in the US, the UK, China and other countries. Japan stood at 40%, remaining below the levels seen elsewhere.