88% of US firms use AI vs 26% in Japan, but depth beats speed, HBR authors argue (opens the source in a new tab)
- Four researchers say US firms adopt AI widely but shallowly: McKinsey finds 88% use it somewhere, yet only 39% report any EBIT impact, and Deloitte says 30% have redesigned key processes.
- Japan lags on uptake (26%, per Yano Research) and ranks 60th for business agility in IMD's index, but goes deep where it adopts: Toyota factory workers had built 10,000 AI models by 2024.
- Their fix is a six-rung ladder. US firms should redesign a few workflows end to end and cap AI tools per role; Japanese firms need a fast lane for small AI decisions.
- 88% vs 26%
- firms using AI: US vs Japan
- 39%
- US firms seeing any EBIT gain
Why it matters Counting pilots and tokens flatters the scorecard; profits come from rebuilding how work is done. For India's IT services firms, which sell AI into both markets, the money is in the workflow redesign clients tend to skip, not in tool licences.
Other side The figures come from different surveys, years and definitions, so the gap is rough. And the authors themselves note productivity often dips before it surges with a general-purpose technology, so today's shallow US use may be an early phase.