Generative AI Use on the Rise: Survey Highlights Top Uses
The latest quarterly survey on generative AI use in Japan finds it to be more popular than ever, even among older users, although the main uses seem to be shifting over time.
A recent survey on generative AI use in Japan reveals a significant increase in adoption across all age groups. Conducted four times a year by the Nippon Research Center since 2023, the latest June 2026 survey found that 56.3% of respondents had used generative AI, the first time this figure surpassed the 50% mark. The percentage of those currently using the technology was also in the majority at 50.4%.
Notably, usage rates rose among older demographics, with those in their fifties (55%) and sixties (45%) showing a significant increase compared to the March 2025 survey, where they had been in the lower 20% range. This suggests generative AI is being adopted more readily across generations for both work and daily life. ChatGPT (OpenAI) topped the list of most commonly used tools at 30.3%, followed closely by Google's Gemini at 29.0% and Microsoft's Copilot at 15.0%.
The primary reason for using these tools was "information gathering and research" at 62.9%, while other common uses included generating ideas for hobbies and creative projects (29.2%) and creating/proofreading emails and documents (26.7%). Compared to the September 2025 survey, "information gathering and research" saw a 7.8 percentage point increase, while "generating ideas" fell by 8.0 points, indicating a potential shift in users' needs and priorities in using generative AI.
Written by urgent.news from Nippon.com's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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