1. Background

The technology of generative AI is expected to not only bring about great business opportunities through the improvement of productivity and added value but also contribute to solving a variety of social issues.

In August 2023, the Study Group on Human Resources Policy in the Digital Age intensively discussed ideal approaches to human resources and skills for appropriately and proactively utilizing generative AI, and METI compiled actions that Japan should take into a report titled Approaches to Human Resources and Skills Required for DX Promotion in the Age of Generative AI. After this publication, rapid progress has been made in generative AI technology and an increasing number of Japanese companies have adopted the technology. Meanwhile, these companies still face challenges in full-fledged utilization of the technology.

From October 2023, the study group held repeated interviews with representatives of companies and experts, and METI compiled into a report the discussion results of the study group concerning challenges that hinder the utilization of generative AI and suggestions to solve the challenges, skills required for human resources as DX promoters in the age of generative AI, and policy measures.

2. Overview of the Approaches to Human Resources and Skills Required for DX Promotion in the Age of Generative AI 2024

Key points of the report are as follows:

(1) Current situation of generative AI

Developers have been contributing to the development of generative AI and companies have proactively been introducing it as seen in the fact that a significant number of Japanese companies have internally started using and promoting generative AI over the past year. Meanwhile, Japanese companies show sluggishness in the systematic introduction of generative AI into daily business operations, the creation of new services, and the involvement of the top management in efforts for encouraging these actions. The percentage of Japanese companies that engage in these actions is lower than the global average.

(2) Challenges in the utilization of generative AI, solutions to the challenges, and future perspectives

Japanese companies show sluggishness in their efforts for the systematic introduction of generative AI into daily business operations to use the technology, the utilization of the technology leading to creating new services, and the involvement of the top management in efforts for encouraging these actions.

• Suggestions to solve the challenges that hinder AI utilization
  • Insufficient understanding of generative AI and how to face the technology: Companies should find a goal-oriented approach, develop an environment for generative AI and conduct tests thereof, and ask sophisticated questions to the technology rather than simply requesting answers from it.
  • Stance and involvement of the top management: The top management should determine the visions and policies for generative AI and define the roles of the human resources that drive changes.
  • Human resources as DX promoters and their skills: Companies should ascertain trends in AI skills in a data-driven manner and generate opportunities for defining, educating, and empowering the human resources.
  • Organization of data: Companies should foster and secure human resources that are responsible for company-wide data management and have expert viewpoints on data.
• Loss of opportunities to gain experience and practical education and to foster human resources
• Innovation for productivity in development as a trigger for helping new vendors and users to gain opportunities

(3) Human resources and skills required for DX promotion in the age of generative AI

• Human resources as DX promoters can supplement knowledge and skills by making use of generative AI in daily business operations. Accordingly, personal skills and business and design skills become important factors for them in playing a more creative role, in, e.g., executing leadership and critical thinking.
• Human resources as DX promoters are required to have not only the ability to ask questions but also the ability to make and examine hypotheses and the ability to evaluate and choose the outcomes.
• Required skills
  • Business architects: They need the ability to select appropriate ideas from some options and choose and evaluate them.
  • Designers: They need to have the ability to solve issues from their own unique perspectives and have passion for seeking customer experiences.
  • Data scientists: They need skills for making use of generative AI (using, creating, and planning the technology) and skills for understanding the background to the challenges involved and dealing with them (understanding technologies, and dealing with issues involving technologies, ethics, and promotion).
  • Software engineers: They need AI skills (for fully utilizing AI tools), upstream skills (for driving personnel on the business side in terms of designing and technologies), and interpersonal skills.
  • Cybersecurity personnel: They need to be able to assess the benefits and risks of AI utilization, have internal management skills, and have good communication skills.

(4) METI’s effort for dealing with ideal approaches to human resources and their skills based on generative AI

Through its efforts, METI will strive to review the Digital Skills Standards (DSS), review the digital governance codes, expand the base on which people are able to learn about AI, and develop an environment to help people to continue gaining the knowledge required in the age of generative AI.

Related Materials

• Approaches to Human Resources and Skills Required for DX Promotion in the Age of Generative AI 2024 (June 2024) (summary) (in Japanese)(PDF:584KB)PDF
• Approaches to Human Resources and Skills Required for DX Promotion in the Age of Generative AI 2024 (June 2024)(in Japanese)(PDF:3,563KB)PDF

Related Link

• Study Group on Human Resources Policy in the Digital Age (in Japanese)

Division in Charge

IT Innovation Division, Commerce and Information Policy Bureau