Why Japanese Firms Are Slow to Use AI

Japan is facing serious challenges with its workforce. The country has labour shortages, an ageing population, and low productivity. However, many Japanese workplaces are being cautious about adopting artificial intelligence.

According to an OECD report, only 8.4% of Japanese workers used AI at the end of 2025. This is much lower than figures reported from other countries—50% in the United States and 32% in the United Kingdom. Experts say Japanese organisations have consensus-driven processes and very low tolerance for mistakes, especially when work affects clients. As a result, generative AI is used more for lower-risk tasks like writing and summarising than for core operations or decision-making.

Other barriers include old computer systems and low digital literacy. About 60% of company computer systems are more than 20 years old. Japan could face a shortfall of nearly 800,000 IT professionals by 2030. Some large companies are now looking for employees with AI literacy, but AI systems that work independently remain uncommon in Japan.