The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' "2024 Information and Communications White Paper" (https://www.soumu.go.jp/johotsusintokei/whitepaper/ja/r06/pdf/index.html), published in July 2024, revealed figures on the use of generative AI by Japanese companies. Only 42.7% of companies have formulated a policy for using generative AI. This is about half the level compared to the United States, Germany, and China, which are more than 90%.
On the other hand, it is interesting to note that about 75% of companies expect generative AI to be effective, saying that "I think it will lead to improved business efficiency and the elimination of labor shortages" (the sum of "I think so" and "I think so to some extent"). What does this gap in numbers indicate?
As a customer success specialist, I talk to many companies every day, and I find these survey results deeply convincing. In this article, I would like to explore the current state of generative AI use in Japanese companies and its implications for the future, combining the latest data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications with my own experiences on the ground.
According to an international comparative survey by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, only 42.7% of Japanese companies have established a utilization policy for generative AI. This figure is the sum of "actively utilizing the policy" and "limited use in certain areas".
In contrast, the situation of overseas companies is very different.
Looking at the actual utilization status in business, this difference becomes even clearer. Regarding the use of generative AI for "assistance in the creation of emails, minutes, documents, etc.", 46.8% of Japanese companies answered that they are "using it in business". On the other hand, in the United States, Germany, and China, about 90% of companies are using generative AI in some form, including "trial".
Source：総務省｜令和6年版 情報通信白書｜企業向けアンケート
This difference in temperature is also strongly felt in the field of customer success. Although many customers are interested in overseas cases and the trends of competitors, the reality is that they ask us to "wait and see how it goes first" or "after other companies' success stories appear".
In particular, Japanese companies tend to start with testing in their internal operations rather than immediately introducing generative AI to customer service, as the survey result showed, "The introduction is being carried out cautiously starting with internal operations." This is also a reflection of the risk management awareness of Japanese companies, and is not all negative.
What's fascinating here is that while adoption policy formation stands at just 42.7%, about 75% of companies expect generative AI to "improve operational efficiency and address staffing shortages.
Source：総務省｜令和6年版 情報通信白書｜企業向けアンケート
What does this contradiction mean? From fieldwork, I sense many companies are in the following situation: "We understand the benefits, but can't take the leap."
Common feedback from actual clients includes: