2026 Japanese Corporate DX Survey: 75.9% Considering "AI First" Strategy

Mitsubishi Research Institute (MRI) conducted a "DX Promotion Status Survey" targeting 1,000 employees at domestic private enterprises with sales exceeding 10 billion yen, releasing the fifth iteration of this survey. Business transformation now represents 40.2% of DX efforts, surpassing digitalization at 36.9% for the first time. DX implementation focus has expanded to include business process reform and system deployment/enhancement, indicating a shift toward practical execution phases.

75.9% of surveyed companies have already begun exploring "AI First" strategies, with 43.1% targeting financial results by end of 2026 and 75.4% by end of 2028. However, the "AI First Realization" segment where AI adoption is standardized company-wide and deeply embedded in key operations represents only 10.1% of enterprises.

Converting AI First strategies into corporate growth requires "resource reallocation"—shifting capital, talent, and time from existing domains to new business pillars and growth areas. Only 6.8% have both conceptualized and executed resource reallocation, while 36.9% have identified the need but haven't yet implemented it.