[Asked SME Managers Using Generative AI for Business: What are the Trends in Generative AI Utilization?] About 80% Answered AI's 'Importance Will Increase' in Management Decisions, While Over Half Have 'Never Checked' Their Company's Representation on AI

IDEATECH Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo, President: Tomoo Ishikawa, hereinafter: IDEATECH), which operates 'ResearP®️' (https://ideatech.jp/service/research-pr) that realizes one-stop research marketing, announced the implementation of the 'Fact-finding Survey 2026 on the Use of Interactive Generative AI by SME Managers' targeting 311 managers and executives of SMEs (5 to 299 employees) who use generative AI for business several times a month or more.

01 | 79.8% of SME managers answered that the 'importance will increase' for generative AI in management decisions, and 52.7% have 'never checked' their company's representation on generative AI.

02 | Over 40% of managers who researched business partners using generative AI have experienced 'removing them from candidates' or 'lowering their priority'.

03 | More than half of the managers who learned new management options through generative AI 'visited the official website', and about 30% 'considered introduction internally'.

Download this survey here: https://ideatech.jp/download/354/?utm_source=pr_260528

■ Survey Overview

Survey Name: Fact-finding Survey 2026 on the Use of Interactive Generative AI by SME Managers

Survey Method: Internet survey planned by 'ResearP®︎', a research marketing service provided by IDEATECH

Survey Period: May 13, 2026 - May 14, 2026

Valid Responses: 311 managers and executives of SMEs (5 to 299 employees) who use generative AI for business several times a month or more

* Since the composition ratio is rounded to the first decimal place, the total may not necessarily be 100.

■ Management Issues Felt by SME Managers: 'Labor Shortage / Recruitment Difficulty' (48.2%) and 'Sluggish Sales Growth' (37.6%) Top the List

When asked, 'Q1. Please tell us what you currently feel are management issues. (Multiple answers / Up to top 3)' (n=311), 'Labor shortage / Recruitment difficulty' was 48.2%, 'Sluggish sales growth' was 37.6%, and 'Decline in profit margin' was 23.2%.

Q1. Please tell us what you currently feel are management issues. (Multiple answers / Up to top 3)

- Labor shortage / Recruitment difficulty: 48.2%

- Sluggish sales growth: 37.6%

- Decline in profit margin: 23.2%

- Delay in DX / Digitalization: 22.2%

- Absence of successor / Business succession: 21.9%

- Decrease in business partners / Sales channel development: 19.9%

- Cash flow / Financing: 14.5%

- Other: 1.9%

- No particular issues: 12.2%

- Don't know / Cannot answer: 1.6%

■ About 80% of SME Managers Answered They Have Experience Using 'ChatGPT' for Work

When asked, 'Q2. Please tell us the generative AI tools you have used for work so far. (Multiple answers)' (n=311), 'ChatGPT' was 76.8%, 'Gemini' was 53.1%, and 'Microsoft Copilot' was 35.0%.

Q2. Please tell us the generative AI tools you have used for work so far. (Multiple answers)

- ChatGPT: 76.8%

- Gemini: 53.1%

- Microsoft Copilot: 35.0%

- Claude: 6.8%

- Perplexity: 3.2%

- Other: 1.0%

- Don't know / Cannot answer: 6.1%

■ More Than Half of SME Managers Used 'ChatGPT' Most Frequently in the Past Month

When asked, 'Q3. Please tell us the generative AI tool you have used most frequently in the past month.' (n=292), 'ChatGPT' was 54.5% and 'Gemini' was 27.1%.

Q3. Please tell us the generative AI tool you have used most frequently in the past month.

- ChatGPT: 54.5%

- Gemini: 27.1%

- Microsoft Copilot: 16.1%

- Perplexity: 0.7%

- Claude: 1.7%

- Other: 0.0%

- Don't know / Cannot answer: 0.0%

■ The Top Management Theme Consulted with Generative AI is 'Management Strategy / Medium-term Plan', While Over 30% Answered 'Have Not Consulted Anything in Particular'

When asked, 'Q4. Please tell us the management themes you have consulted with generative AI. (Multiple answers)' (n=311), 'Management strategy / Medium-term plan' was 23.5%, 'Marketing / Sales promotion' was 23.2%, and 'Sales / Sales strategy' was 22.8%.

Q4. Please tell us the management themes you have consulted with generative AI. (Multiple answers)

- Management strategy / Medium-term plan: 23.5%

- Marketing / Sales promotion: 23.2%

- Sales / Sales strategy: 22.8%

- Consideration of new business: 19.3%

- Recruitment / Securing human resources: 15.4%

- Business succession / M&A: 10.6%

- Cash flow / Financing: 7.1%

- Other: 5.5%

- Have not consulted anything in particular: 31.2%

- Don't know / Cannot answer: 4.5%

■ 1 in 2 SME Managers Has Experience Researching Corporate Information of Business Partners / Candidates Using Generative AI

When asked, 'Q5. Have you ever used generative AI to research information about business partners or candidate companies?' (n=311), 'Many times' was 20.6% and 'A few times' was 32.8%.

Q5. Have you ever used generative AI to research information about business partners or candidate companies?

- Many times: 20.6%

- A few times: 32.8%

- Only once: 2.3%

- Never: 41.8%

- Don't know / Cannot answer: 2.6%

■ Over 40% of Managers Who Researched Business Partners with Generative AI Experienced 'Removing the Company from Candidates' or 'Lowering Priority'

When asked to those who answered other than 'Never' or 'Don't know / Cannot answer' in Q5, 'Q6. As a result of researching business partners / candidates with generative AI, have you ever experienced removing that company from candidates (or lowering its priority)?' (n=173), 'Have experienced removing from candidates' was 14.5% and 'Have experienced lowering priority' was 26.6%.

Q6. As a result of researching business partners / candidates with generative AI, have you ever experienced removing that company from candidates (or lowering its priority)?

- Have experienced removing from candidates: 14.5%

- Have experienced lowering priority: 26.6%

- Have never experienced removing from candidates or lowering priority: 56.1%

- Don't know / Cannot answer: 2.9%

■ Response When Feeling Information Shortage in Generative AI: No. 1 'Additional Search on Google, etc.', No. 2 'Directly Check Official Website'

When asked, 'Q7. When you research corporate information with generative AI and feel the information is insufficient or inaccurate, what do you do? (Multiple answers)' (n=311), 'Do an additional search on Google, etc. and re-examine' was 54.3%, 'Directly check the company's official website' was 46.3%, and 'Prioritize considering other companies' was 10.9%.

Q7. When you research corporate information with generative AI and feel the information is insufficient or inaccurate, what do you do? (Multiple answers)

- Do an additional search on Google, etc. and re-examine: 54.3%

- Directly check the company's official website: 46.3%

- Prioritize considering other companies: 10.9%

- Ask a knowledgeable person in the company: 10.6%

- Interest / priority for that company decreases: 9.3%

- Directly inquire with that company: 7.7%

- Other: 1.6%

- Do not particularly care: 11.6%

- Don't know / Cannot answer: 6.8%

■ About 60% of SME Managers Discovered Unknown Management Options or Measures Through Generative AI

When asked, 'Q8. Through information gathering using generative AI, have you ever newly learned about management options or measures you didn't know before?' (n=311), 'Many times' was 20.3% and 'A few times' was 31.2%.

Q8. Through information gathering using generative AI, have you ever newly learned about management options or measures you didn't know before?

- Many times: 20.3%

- A few times: 31.2%

- Only once: 6.1%

- Never: 37.3%

- Don't know / Cannot answer: 5.1%

■ Subsequent Actions Towards Companies / Services Learned Through Generative AI: 'Visited Official Website' Tops, Over 30% 'Considered Introduction Internally'

When asked to those who answered 'Many times', 'A few times', or 'Only once' in Q8, 'Q9. Regarding the companies / services you learned about through generative AI, please tell us what actions you actually took afterwards. (Multiple answers)' (n=179), 'Visited the official website' was 52.0%, 'Considered introduction internally' was 30.7%, and 'Consulted with management peers or advisors' was 30.2%.

Q9. Regarding the companies / services you learned about through generative AI, please tell us what actions you actually took afterwards. (Multiple answers)

- Visited the official website: 52.0%

- Considered introduction internally: 30.7%

- Consulted with management peers or advisors: 30.2%

- Re-investigated with other generative AI or search engines: 25.1%

- Requested materials / made inquiries: 20.7%

- Actually contracted / introduced: 6.1%

- Other: 0.0%

- Took no particular action: 9.5%

- Don't know / Cannot answer: 1.7%

■ Over 50% of SME Managers Have 'Never Checked' Their Company's Representation on Generative AI

When asked, 'Q10. Have you ever checked how your company (or service) is displayed or introduced on generative AI? (Multiple answers)' (n=311), 'Have tried asking myself' was 24.8%, 'Someone in the company shared it' was 16.1%, and 'Pointed out by an external partner' was 13.2%.

Q10. Have you ever checked how your company (or service) is displayed or introduced on generative AI? (Multiple answers)

- Have tried asking myself: 24.8%

- Someone in the company shared it: 16.1%

- Pointed out by an external partner: 13.2%

- Regularly monitoring: 9.6%

- Other: 0.3%

- Have never checked: 52.7%

- Don't know / Cannot answer: 3.5%

■ 79.8% of SME Managers Answered the Importance of Generative AI in Future Management Decisions Will 'Increase'

When asked, 'Q11. Do you think the importance of generative AI as an information source for future management decisions will increase?' (n=311), 'Strongly agree' was 26.7% and 'Somewhat agree' was 53.1%.

Q11. Do you think the importance of generative AI as an information source for future management decisions will increase?

- Strongly agree: 26.7%

- Somewhat agree: 53.1%

- Do not really think so: 13.5%

- Do not think so at all: 1.3%

- Don't know / Cannot answer: 5.5%

■ Summary

This time, we conducted the 'Fact-finding Survey 2026 on the Use of Interactive Generative AI by SME Managers' targeting 311 managers and executives of SMEs (5 to 299 employees) who use generative AI for business several times a month or more. As a result, while 79.8% of managers answered that the importance of generative AI in future management decisions will 'increase', it became clear that more than half have 'never checked' how their company is represented on generative AI.

First, the management issues felt by SME managers were topped by 'Labor shortage / Recruitment difficulty' (48.2%), followed by 'Sluggish sales growth' (37.6%) and 'Decline in profit margin' (23.2%). Experience using generative AI tools was prominently 'ChatGPT' (76.8%), which also accounted for 54.5% of the most frequent use in the past month. The management theme consulted with generative AI was mostly 'Management strategy / Medium-term plan' (23.5%), followed by 'Marketing / Sales promotion' (23.2%), while 'Have not consulted anything in particular' also reached 31.2%. Managers who have researched business partners / candidates with generative AI reached 55.7%, of which 41.1% had the experience of 'removing from candidates' or 'lowering priority'. Responses when feeling information is insufficient or inaccurate are mainly 'Additional search on Google, etc.' (54.3%) and 'Directly check official website' (46.3%). 57.6% of managers have experienced learning new management options through generative AI, and subsequent actions were topped by 'Visited official website' (52.0%) and 'Considered introduction internally' (30.7%). In business succession / M&A, 32.8% had the experience of being presented with specific company names or service names by generative AI.

From this survey, the reality emerged that generative AI is not just an operational efficiency tool for SME managers, but is being incorporated into the decision-making process for selecting business partners and discovering new business partners. On the other hand, despite the fact that information obtained from generative AI affects the selection judgment of business partners / candidates, many managers do not grasp how their company is represented on generative AI, indicating the current situation where awareness as the 'viewed side' has not caught up. Going forward, the question will be how to incorporate information maintenance conscious of how one's company appears on generative AI and new optimization perspectives into management strategies.

Download this survey here: https://ideatech.jp/download/354/?utm_source=pr_260528

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