In a survey by AXIS CONSULTING CORPORATION of employees in their 20s to 60s across Japan on operational efficiency and changes in work styles through AI use, 66.3% said they had gained more time through AI. The top uses of this additional time were communication, planning and improving expertise.
AXIS CONSULTING CORPORATION conducted a survey of employees in their 20s to 60s across Japan, with 603 people whose employers promote or permit the use of AI serving as the primary analysis sample. The survey was conducted on 11–12 September 2026 and examined the additional time created through AI use, how it was used and changes in work styles.
The proportion who said AI use had created additional time for work was 66.3%, comprising 18.7% who said a substantial amount of time had been freed up and 47.6% who said a modest amount had been freed up. The uses of this additional time were communication with customers and within the company at 37.5%, planning and new work at 37.0%, and improving expertise at 34.5%, indicating that the time was being reallocated to communication, new planning and improving expertise.
The uses of time freed up differed depending on the tasks streamlined by AI. Among those who had streamlined routine document creation, 51.2% used the time for communication; among those who had streamlined the preparation of materials, 48.6% used it for planning; and among those who had streamlined information gathering, 58.2% used it to improve the quality of deliverables. The use of the time therefore varied by the type of work.
Many respondents said that the importance of tasks such as checking and correcting AI output, planning and generating ideas, and judgment and decision-making had increased after adopting AI. As many as 83.5% also said they had experienced improvements in results or quality. How the time freed up is used going forward is drawing attention as a factor that could lead to higher corporate productivity.