The focus of debate is how employees who use AI to leave work on time will be evaluated differently from those who continue working into the night. Experts point out that the background is the value placed on “effort” that is deeply rooted in Japanese companies.
Using generative AI makes it possible to complete preliminary research and prepare rough drafts of materials in a short time, and more people are finishing their work earlier than before. At the same time, a problem has emerged: the way people who save time and deliver results work is less likely to be perceived by those around them as an indication that they are “working hard.”
Watanabe Takashi (渡邉 貴志), who gained experience in human resources at Toyota Tsusho Corporation and ITOCHU Corporation, points out that employees who save time using AI may have their efforts overlooked, potentially affecting their evaluations and relationships of trust.
Teshigawara Mai (勅使川原 真衣), an organizational development consultant, says this is not solely a problem caused by the emergence of AI, but an expression of the harmful values held by Japanese companies, which praise people for working long hours or appearing to be “working hard.”
This debate has been described using the phrase “the worst form of effort-based culture,” raising questions about the evaluation systems themselves that assess employees’ efforts. The experiences of these experts are cited as part of the background.