90.7％ untrained in AI at work, NEXER Group finds

The survey, conducted jointly by NEXER Group and the reskilling support service LISKILLING, probed how companies in Japan are handling AI and DX in practice. It found that workplace discussions of these topics remain rare, with 73.0% of respondents saying AI and DX are never or hardly ever discussed at work. That silence is matched by a low rate of formal training: 90.7% reported no experience with AI or DX training.

Understanding lags desire. Only 16.3% said they could explain what AI and DX mean and apply them at work, and 23.3% understood the terms but did not use them on the job. Meanwhile, 31.7% had heard the words without understanding them, and 28.7% had never encountered them. Against that, 44.4% of respondents said they want to acquire the skills to use AI and digital tools at work, suggesting the appetite exists even where knowledge does not.

For companies trying to build AI-capable workforces, the survey points to a practical question about how learning opportunities are created, rather than whether employees are willing to take them. Whether training rates rise may depend on whether firms move the topic into everyday workplace conversation and offer structured programs; without that, the interest reported in the survey is likely to stay unmet.