One snapshot of Japan’s AI landscape indicates the usual optimism, tempered by apprehensions and skills gaps among respondents

In a Nov 2023 survey on the various aspects of AI perceptions and adoption among 500 IT professionals in small- and medium-sized organizations (SMEs) of between 50 and 200 employees in Japan, where 47% of respondents held a C-suite role in a “balanced representation of company sizes and industry sectors”, the following trends were noted.

First, 76% of the respondents were largely positive about AI’s potential to enhance operational efficiency and enhance the gathering of customer insights.

Second, 62% indicated some apprehensions regarding AI implementation: any current use of generative AI in businesses was unofficial, highlighting a lack of regulation, visibility, and oversight in this area. Also,  69% cited worrying about the inherent risks associated with AI deployment in terms of security measures and risk management strategies.

Third, 55% of respondents admitted they were unsure how attackers could leverage AI in email-based attacks; 36% believed AI will strengthen protection against such threats.

Fourth, when it came to coping with AI-based cyberattacks, 63% of respondents cited that they lacked “some or all” of the necessary skills to mitigate such threats; 77% expressed a need for external partners to help them to implement and manage AI solutions.

According to Makoto Suzuki, Regional Sales Director (Japan), Barracuda Networks the firm that commissioned the survey, the Japan SME respondents saw the value of AI for boosting business productivity, but there were gaps “when it comes to understanding and addressing the threats that AI can pose to an organization’s cybersecurity posture.”

This could hold businesses back from harnessing the full potential of AI, Suzuki noted. To harness the full benefits of AI while mitigating the risks, he added, businesses can deploy AI-enabled security tools to counter attackers deploying generative AI and machine learning to build their cyber weapons. This should be supported by regular security awareness training and a sound approach to security basics, such as patching and backups.