[3 Years Since ChatGPT's Debut] 48.5% of Office Workers Respond 'Never Use AI for Work' — Towards an 'Era of Division' Between Users and Non-Users
A survey by Surista Inc. reveals that three years after ChatGPT's release, 48.5% of Japanese office workers never use AI for work, while only 38.2% do. 55.6% of AI users report saving over an hour of work time per week, indicating a widening productivity gap and the advent of a 'divided era' between AI users and non-users.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 12, 2026 at 19:30
- 🔍 Collected: May 12, 2026 at 11:01
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 13, 2026 at 10:45 (23h 43m after Collected)
Approximately three years have passed since ChatGPT was released to the world. While media outlets daily proclaim the 'arrival of the AI era,' what is the actual situation on the ground? A survey conducted by Surista Inc. (Tokyo) among 400 office workers nationwide found that only 38.2% reported 'using' AI for work, with approximately half, 48.5%, responding that they 'do not use it at all.' Furthermore, 55.6% of AI users reported saving more than one hour of work time per week, suggesting the arrival of a 'divided era' where the productivity gap between users and non-users is expanding.
### Three Key Topics
* Business AI usage rate is 38.2%, with 48.5% completely unused — polarization is progressing.
* 55.6% of AI users feel a business efficiency improvement of more than one hour per week — the gap with non-users is widening.
* By generation, 40s show the highest at 50.0%, while 20s are 0.0% (n=7), an unexpected structure.
### 1. Business AI Usage Frequency (n=400)
* Multiple times daily: 23 people / 5.8%
* Almost daily: 31 people / 7.8%
* Several times a week: 62 people / 15.5%
* Several times a month: 37 people / 9.3%
* Rarely use: 53 people / 13.2%
* Never use at all: 194 people / 48.5%
Those who 'use AI' (multiple times daily to several times a month) total 153 people / 38.2%. On the other hand, 'never use at all' accounts for the largest volume at 194 people (48.5%). The polarization between 'users' and 'non-users' is clear.
### 2. AI Users' Perceived Work Time Reduction (n=153, user base)
* No reduction effect: 31 people / 20.3%
* Less than 1 hour reduction per week: 37 people / 24.2%
* 1-3 hours reduction per week: 49 people / 32.0%
* More than 3-5 hours reduction per week: 36 people / 23.5%
55.6% (85 people) of AI users reported saving more than one hour of work time per week. Converted annually, this calculates to a productivity difference of over 50 hours, and over 250 hours (approx. 30 working days) in five years, between the user and non-user groups.
### 3. AI Usage Rate by Company Size
* 1-10 employees (n=48): 27.1%
* 11-50 employees (n=61): 23.0%
* 51-100 employees (n=39): 35.9%
* 101-500 employees (n=84): 41.7%
* 501-1,000 employees (n=41): 41.5%
* 1,001-5,000 employees (n=61): 52.5% (Highest)
* Over 5,001 employees (n=66): 42.4%
### 4. AI Usage Rate by Age Group and Gender
* 20s and younger (n=7): 0.0% (Reference value)
* 30s (n=24): 37.5%
* 40s (n=92): 50.0%
* 50s (n=163): 36.8%
* 60s and older (n=114): 33.3%
* Men (n=317): 39.7% / Women (n=83): 32.5%
The usage rate for those in their 40s is the highest at 50%. It is interesting that the 20s show 0.0% with n=7, but this is a reference value due to the small sample size. This reveals a structure different from the image of "Gen Z being AI natives."
### Supervisor's Comment
The fact that 48.5% 'never use at all' indicates the true current state of DX in Japanese companies. The reasons for not using AI are complex, including 'don't know how to use it,' 'no permission,' and 'not necessary for work.' Both bottom-up and top-down approaches are necessary. The work efficiency gap between AI users and non-users may become a selection criterion in the future labor market.
### Detailed Report (All Cross-Tabulations by Industry x Position / Size / Age / Gender)
The full cross-tabulations, graphs, and industry-specific examples are available in the Doyamarke article "AI Business Usage Rate Survey 2026 Complete Edition."
👉 https://doyamarke.surisuta.jp/notes/pr01-usage-rate-report
### Download Survey Materials (PDF with figures and tables)
👉 https://doyamarke.surisuta.jp/download/pr01-usage-rate
### Citation Guidelines
When citing the figures and tables from this release, please clearly state the source as "Surista Inc. 'Survey on the Actual State of Generative AI Utilization in Companies 2026' (n=400)" and include a link to the Doyamarke article URL above.
### Survey Overview
* Survey Name: Survey on the Actual State of Generative AI Utilization in Companies
* Target: Office workers nationwide (full-time employees, contract, temporary, management, civil servants)
* Valid Responses: 400 people
* Survey Period: May 2026
* Survey Method: Internet survey (Freeasy)
* Implementing Body: Surista Inc.
### About Surista Inc.
Surista Inc. operates "Doyamarke," a media platform that supports corporate marketing operations with AI, under the theme of "Making AI marketing commonplace." They provide comprehensive support for AI and marketing implementation and dissemination, including article creation, document creation, and communication design.
URL: https://surista.jp/
### Three Key Topics
* Business AI usage rate is 38.2%, with 48.5% completely unused — polarization is progressing.
* 55.6% of AI users feel a business efficiency improvement of more than one hour per week — the gap with non-users is widening.
* By generation, 40s show the highest at 50.0%, while 20s are 0.0% (n=7), an unexpected structure.
### 1. Business AI Usage Frequency (n=400)
* Multiple times daily: 23 people / 5.8%
* Almost daily: 31 people / 7.8%
* Several times a week: 62 people / 15.5%
* Several times a month: 37 people / 9.3%
* Rarely use: 53 people / 13.2%
* Never use at all: 194 people / 48.5%
Those who 'use AI' (multiple times daily to several times a month) total 153 people / 38.2%. On the other hand, 'never use at all' accounts for the largest volume at 194 people (48.5%). The polarization between 'users' and 'non-users' is clear.
### 2. AI Users' Perceived Work Time Reduction (n=153, user base)
* No reduction effect: 31 people / 20.3%
* Less than 1 hour reduction per week: 37 people / 24.2%
* 1-3 hours reduction per week: 49 people / 32.0%
* More than 3-5 hours reduction per week: 36 people / 23.5%
55.6% (85 people) of AI users reported saving more than one hour of work time per week. Converted annually, this calculates to a productivity difference of over 50 hours, and over 250 hours (approx. 30 working days) in five years, between the user and non-user groups.
### 3. AI Usage Rate by Company Size
* 1-10 employees (n=48): 27.1%
* 11-50 employees (n=61): 23.0%
* 51-100 employees (n=39): 35.9%
* 101-500 employees (n=84): 41.7%
* 501-1,000 employees (n=41): 41.5%
* 1,001-5,000 employees (n=61): 52.5% (Highest)
* Over 5,001 employees (n=66): 42.4%
### 4. AI Usage Rate by Age Group and Gender
* 20s and younger (n=7): 0.0% (Reference value)
* 30s (n=24): 37.5%
* 40s (n=92): 50.0%
* 50s (n=163): 36.8%
* 60s and older (n=114): 33.3%
* Men (n=317): 39.7% / Women (n=83): 32.5%
The usage rate for those in their 40s is the highest at 50%. It is interesting that the 20s show 0.0% with n=7, but this is a reference value due to the small sample size. This reveals a structure different from the image of "Gen Z being AI natives."
### Supervisor's Comment
The fact that 48.5% 'never use at all' indicates the true current state of DX in Japanese companies. The reasons for not using AI are complex, including 'don't know how to use it,' 'no permission,' and 'not necessary for work.' Both bottom-up and top-down approaches are necessary. The work efficiency gap between AI users and non-users may become a selection criterion in the future labor market.
### Detailed Report (All Cross-Tabulations by Industry x Position / Size / Age / Gender)
The full cross-tabulations, graphs, and industry-specific examples are available in the Doyamarke article "AI Business Usage Rate Survey 2026 Complete Edition."
👉 https://doyamarke.surisuta.jp/notes/pr01-usage-rate-report
### Download Survey Materials (PDF with figures and tables)
👉 https://doyamarke.surisuta.jp/download/pr01-usage-rate
### Citation Guidelines
When citing the figures and tables from this release, please clearly state the source as "Surista Inc. 'Survey on the Actual State of Generative AI Utilization in Companies 2026' (n=400)" and include a link to the Doyamarke article URL above.
### Survey Overview
* Survey Name: Survey on the Actual State of Generative AI Utilization in Companies
* Target: Office workers nationwide (full-time employees, contract, temporary, management, civil servants)
* Valid Responses: 400 people
* Survey Period: May 2026
* Survey Method: Internet survey (Freeasy)
* Implementing Body: Surista Inc.
### About Surista Inc.
Surista Inc. operates "Doyamarke," a media platform that supports corporate marketing operations with AI, under the theme of "Making AI marketing commonplace." They provide comprehensive support for AI and marketing implementation and dissemination, including article creation, document creation, and communication design.
URL: https://surista.jp/