GuideRunner survey reveals regional AI adoption gaps in Japan

A survey conducted by GuideRunner among 250 small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) executives in Japan reveals significant regional disparities in generative AI adoption. While the national average for AI usage stands at 54.8%, adoption rates are notably higher in western and regional areas, such as Kyushu and Okinawa (86.4%) and the Kinki region (60.0%), compared to the Kanto region (51.0%).

Despite high usage, the report highlights a critical gap in performance measurement. Among executives who believe generative AI provides good cost-effectiveness, 72.5% reported that they do not track these effects through numerical data, relying instead on subjective intuition.

The study also found that companies successfully integrating AI tend to use multiple different AI tools tailored to specific tasks, rather than relying on a single platform. This approach to multi-tool management was linked to significantly higher levels of perceived effectiveness and operational integration.