Application of Generative AI inside Japanese Companies

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For on-site participation: Please register via email to waldenberger[at]dijtokyo.org until June 16, 2026.

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The DIJ Study Group is a forum for scholars from all disciplines conducting research on contemporary or modern Japan. The event is open to all. This session is organized by Franz Waldenberger.

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Application of Generative AI inside Japanese Companies

17. Juni 2026 / 6.30 pm (JST) / 11.30 am (CEST)

Alissa Kacs, Bonn University / DIJ Tokyo

We are experiencing a global (generative) AI boom with record-high investments and company evaluations. Even Japan’s soaring stock market has been affected. The Large Language Models fuelling the boom count hundreds of millions of users who generate billions of queries per day. But how has this impacted business in Japan? Is the adoption of generative AI within Japanese companies as widespread as in countries like the US or China?

This presentation will provide some preliminary answers. After introducing the results of several surveys on the use of generative AI in Japanese companies and Japanese-language publications that recommend the use of AI to professionals, findings from interviews with experts and representatives from organizations representing both employers and employees will be discussed.

Finally, concrete examples of generative AI use in Japanese companies will be highlighted. While the Japanese government aims to establish Japan as the “world’s most AI-friendly country” and many larger companies have started to explore the potentials of AI, other companies remain hesitant to introduce the new technology comprehensively due to concerns about safety and data security.

Alissa Kacs is a PhD candidate at the Bonn International Graduate School – Oriental and Asian Studies at Bonn University. She focuses on Japanese work culture and how technology is influencing it. She completed a double Bachelor’s degree at Ruhr University Bochum in Japanese Studies and Business Administration. During that time, Kacs also studied abroad at Nihon University Tokyo at the Department of Economics. This was followed by a Master’s degree at Bonn University in Asian Studies: Economics and Society. Since September 2025, Alissa Kacs has been a PhD student at the DIJ in Tokyo, where she has conducted literature research and field studies.