Nearly a quarter (24 percent) of Japanese companies have adopted artificial intelligence (AI) in their businesses. However, according to a recent survey conducted by Nikkei Research, more than 40 percent of the surveyed companies have no plans to utilize this cutting-edge technology.
Varying degrees of AI implementation
The survey involved 506 companies, with around 250 firms responding anonymously between July 3-12. In addition to the 24 percent of companies that have already implemented AI, 35 percent are planning to do so in the future. The remaining 41 percent of respondents have no such plans, indicating varying degrees of AI adoption in corporate Japan.
What are the objectives and hurdles for AI adoption?Â
When asked about the objectives behind adopting AI, 60 percent of respondents cited the need to address worker shortages, 53 percent aimed to reduce labor costs, and 36 percent mentioned accelerating research and development. However, the survey also highlighted various hurdles to AI adoption, such as employee anxiety over potential job losses, a lack of technological expertise, substantial capital expenditure, and concerns about reliability.
Read more: Accelerating AI adoption: Accenture’s $3 billion investment in data, AI practice
Cybersecurity threats and mitigation strategies
The survey also revealed that 15 percent of the respondent companies had experienced cyberattacks in the past year, while 9 percent had business partners that were targeted by such attacks. Among those affected, 23 percent temporarily halted their business operations, and 4 percent experienced information leaks. In response, 47 percent of companies said they were outsourcing their cybersecurity defenses, while 38 percent had in-house specialists.
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