Less than 10% of Construction Firms Leverage AI: LIFEFUND Reveals In-House Model with Majority Employee Participation

## Company-wide Adoption Model through the AI Ambassador Study Group

LIFEFUND (HQ: Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture; Representative Director: Takuma Shirato) announced that its internal AI promotion organization, the 'AI Ambassador Study Group,' launched in January 2026, has grown to include 28 out of 55 full-time employees (over 50%) as voluntary participants in just four months.

In the construction industry, AI adoption remains limited to individual usage (Construction AI Management Survey 2026: only 9.4% have company-wide adoption). The company established an enterprise-wide infiltration model that spreads through voluntary participation rather than coercion by conducting the 'AI Ambassador Study Group' led by Representative Shirato, a pioneer in construction AI, and actively investing in the AI environments of its members.

## Current Status and Challenges in the Construction Industry

According to the 'Construction AI Management Survey 2026' (conducted in March 2026, targeting 53 executives in the construction industry), the following reality emerged:

- 90.6% have not reached company-wide AI adoption, remaining at the level of individual use or not yet starting.
- The biggest wall is the inability to see priorities or where to start (51%).
- 56.6% believe AI is a weapon but cannot master it.
- Executives most strongly seek successful cases and roadmaps tailored to their companies (45.3%).

While tool adoption is progressing (ChatGPT adoption rate: 81.1%), there is a deep gap between 'introduction' and 'company-wide transformation into a force.' Also, the biggest barrier to AI investment is the inability to judge what to invest in (41.5%), indicating differences in support systems for employees among companies.

## The 'AI Ambassador Study Group'—AI Culture Spreading through Voluntary Participation

Launched in January 2026, this study group aims to increase the number of employees who utilize AI in their work. Within just four months, 28 out of 55 full-time employees (a majority) have voluntarily participated.

### Three Mechanisms Supporting Infiltration

1. **'2-Hour AI Study Session' Taught by the President Himself**
Representative Takuma Shirato serves as the instructor, conducting practical workshops on business utilization of 'Claude cowork' and 'Claude code' to develop members' AI skills.

2. **Investment in AI Environments for AI Ambassador Study Members**
The company invests in environments that enable effective AI usage for study group members, such as providing paid plans for Claude. Members participate with the goal of fostering an AI culture throughout the company, not just for their own skill development.