Only 30% of small and mid-sized enterprises in Japan are actively using AI, according to a recent survey. Many job roles within these companies believe AI is not necessary for their work, highlighting a significant gap in AI adoption and perception across the SME sector.
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A survey found that only 30% of small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) are actively using AI, while many job roles within these companies believe AI is unnecessary for their work.
Why it matters
As AI adoption becomes a competitive factor, SMEs lagging in implementation may face productivity challenges. The perception that certain roles don't need AI could slow broader organizational adoption and leave gaps in efficiency where AI could help.
What to watch
The survey identifies specific job functions that resist or dismiss AI—understanding which roles view AI as irrelevant is key to closing adoption gaps in the SME sector.
A survey of small and mid-sized enterprises has revealed a substantial lag in AI adoption. Only 30% of SMEs report actively using AI in their operations. Beyond the raw adoption figure, the survey uncovered another significant barrier: across many job roles within these companies, there is a belief that AI is not necessary for their work. This perception—that certain functions or roles simply do not need AI—suggests that even where AI tools and technologies are available, acceptance and integration face cultural or practical resistance. The article does not detail which specific roles or departments hold this view, but the finding underscores a common challenge in enterprise transformation: adoption is not merely a matter of deploying technology, but of convincing and enabling individuals and teams to see where and how that technology creates value for them. For SMEs, which typically have fewer resources than large enterprises to invest in change management or AI training programs, this gap between technology availability and organizational willingness to use it may be a substantial headwind to competitive positioning in an AI-driven market.
The survey reveals a significant adoption lag in Japan's SME sector. While AI has become a focal point for large enterprises and tech firms, the finding that only 30% of SMEs are actively deploying it points to barriers—whether cost, expertise, lack of clear use cases, or skepticism about relevance. The parallel finding that many job roles within these companies view AI as unnecessary suggests a deeper issue: not just low adoption, but low conviction within organizations about where and how AI adds value. This perception gap between management-level decision-makers and frontline workers may be as much a constraint on growth as infrastructure or resources. For SMEs seeking to compete in an increasingly AI-driven economy, closing both the adoption gap and the perception gap appears critical.
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