TOKIUM Survey Finds 64.6% of Executives and Managers Interested in Accounting AX, While Nearly Half Cite Lack of Talent and Know-How as an AI Adoption Challenge

TOKIUM Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Kenichi Kurosaki), a provider of accounting AI agents, conducted a survey on the state of AX (AI Transformation) among 946 accounting and finance professionals working at companies and organizations across Japan. The results showed that 64.6% of executives and employees at section-chief level or above are interested in AX. Meanwhile, nearly half of respondents (49.5%) cited a shortage of personnel and know-how in operations management and data analysis as a challenge in using AI. According to the survey summary, overall interest in AX stood at 52.7%. Among executives and employees at section-chief level or above, interest reached 64.6%, exceeding the 45.5% among general staff by 19.1 percentage points. The top expectation for AX was “reducing human error and improving operational quality” (61.9%), followed by “reducing workload and overtime during busy periods” (41.7%) and “automating routine tasks” (41.7%). The leading challenges in using AI were “a shortage of personnel and know-how in operations management and data analysis” (49.5%) and “a lack of skills and knowledge required to use AI” (42.5%). Regarding interest in AX, 52.7% of all respondents said they were interested. Among executives and employees at section-chief level or above, the figure was 64.6%, 19.1 percentage points higher than that of general staff. This suggests that people in leadership positions tend to have greater awareness of AX. When asked what effects they expected from AX, the most common answer was “reducing human error and improving operational quality” (61.9%). This was followed by “reducing workload and overtime during busy periods such as month-end and the beginning of the month” (41.7%) and “saving time through automation of routine accounting tasks” (41.7%), showing strong expectations for both quality improvement and workload reduction. “Addressing hiring difficulties and labor shortages in accounting” (27.3%) and “reducing outsourcing costs such as BPO” (22.6%) also ranked high, indicating expectations not only for efficiency gains but also for benefits in staffing and cost reduction. As for challenges in promoting AX, the most frequently cited issue was “a shortage of personnel and know-how in operations management and data analysis” (49.5%), with about half of respondents recognizing it as a challenge. This was followed by “a lack of skills and knowledge required to use AI” (42.5%), suggesting that securing talent and strengthening skills are key to AX promotion. Other major issues included “insufficient ongoing operational support after implementation and support for employee adoption” (31.5%) and “difficulty integrating with existing business systems such as accounting software and ERP” (28.1%). These results show that, in addition to human resources, operational support and integration with existing systems are also important factors. TOKIUM said it will support companies’ AX initiatives through its accounting AX project “Move AX,” not only by providing AI agents but also through awareness activities such as surveys, case studies, and webinars. The survey was conducted online from April 17 to April 24, 2026, with 946 valid responses from employees responsible for accounting and finance at companies and organizations across Japan. The accounting AI agent “TOKIUM” is a service in which AI, professional staff, and cloud systems work together to autonomously make decisions and execute tasks as if they were a dedicated staff member, automatically completing corporate accounting operations. It frees business professionals from routine tasks such as business trip arrangements and approvals, statement entry, and reconciliation. TOKIUM is also promoting its accounting AX project “Move AX,” which aims to free people from all kinds of accounting-related tasks. By using AI to automate analog work that still remains in accounting operations, TOKIUM seeks to create an environment where everyone can focus on the work they should truly be doing. Beyond developing and providing AI agents, the company will support AX in accounting operations through surveys, case studies, webinars, and other initiatives.