Unlike the U.S. and other countries, which are trying to reduce their manpower by introducing artificial intelligence (AI), Japanese companies are planning to increase their manpower. The result reflects a strategy to use AI as a means of creating new business opportunities rather than reducing costs. The Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported that the survey conducted by Azusa’s audit firm on 246 listed Japanese companies included this information.
According to the survey, 28 percent of the respondents said they are increasing their manpower because they need new manpower due to the introduction of new technologies such as AI. On the contrary, only 17 percent said they are reducing or relocating their manpower.
The other half of the companies have not yet felt a clear change. 25% of the respondents said they are not at the stage to have an impact yet, and 24% said they have no special impact.
This trend contrasts with the United States, where restructuring continues with the introduction of AI. It is interpreted that Japanese companies recognize AI as the basis for creating new value rather than simply a cost-cutting tool.
An official at Azusa’s audit firm explained, “The more companies that expect to increase their manpower, the more they will actively use AI for product and service development or customer response.” As the scope of AI use expands, new tasks are created, and accordingly, there is a structure that requires additional manpower.
However, the shortage of manpower that will lead to digital transformation in the field appeared to be an unresolved task. When asked about the challenges of digital transformation (multiple responses), 83% of companies cited “securing and fostering human resources.”
In particular, 80% of the respondents said that there is a lack of “business architects” in charge of designing digital technologies to integrate them into businesses, indicating that there is a large gap in intermediate roles that will connect strategy and execution. On the other hand, the manpower shortage specialized in AI technology such as software engineers has been somewhat eased compared to the previous survey (2023).
SALLY LEE
US ASIA JOURNAL
