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Japan lags the US and UK in workplace AI adoption
Only 8.4% of Japanese workers use AI as part of their job, versus 50% in the US and 32% in the UK, according to OECD data cited by BBC Business.
Japan’s workplace AI adoption remains far behind the US and other countries, despite labor shortages and long-running productivity challenges, according to BBC Business.
Citing a report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development released late last year, BBC Business said that just 8.4% of Japanese workers use AI as part of their job. It contrasted that figure with the US at 50% and the UK at 32%, and noted higher take-up in Singapore at 56% of workers using AI multiple times a week.
BBC Business pointed to risk aversion and conservative decision making within Japanese firms as key reasons for the slow rollout. Austin Xu, co-founder of US AI startup Kuse AI, said process and consensus culture can slow action, and that tolerance for AI mistakes is close to zero in client facing situations, with some firms preferring to keep roles vacant rather than let a machine handle them.
The outlet also cited Parrisa Haghirian, a professor at Kyoto University of Advanced Science, who said Japanese companies face familiar barriers to change, leaving AI use limited and cautious in the workplace. She added that Japanese firms are more sensitive to errors and need more proof before they trust AI enough to deploy it widely.