Japan Turns to AI to Tackle Its Ageing Workforce, Not to Replace It

---

As artificial intelligence rapidly penetrates various industries, AI tools are evolving from chat partners to all-around work assistants. People’s focus has shifted from whether they will be replaced to how to work with AI, which has become a new issue that cannot be avoided in the modern workplace.

---

CHICAGO, IL (MERXWIRE) – Artificial intelligence is advancing at an accelerating pace. OpenAI’s newly released version of ChatGPT can not only engage in conversation but also play music, design posters, and even complete work-related tasks in a single command. As AI capabilities approach those of a “universal assistant,” concerns are growing over whether such technology will soon replace human labour. To clarify this question, a research team from Yale University conducted a three-year study tracking changes in the U.S. labour market, finding that the impact of AI has been far milder than many had anticipated.

According to the latest report from Yale’s Budget Lab, generative AI technologies such as ChatGPT—introduced in 2022 and now active for 33 months—have not led to widespread unemployment in the United States. The study analysed shifts in employment structures between 2022 and 2025 and found the labour market to be broadly stable. Researchers concluded that AI currently functions more as a productivity-enhancing tool than as a threat to human employment. Many roles have actually become more efficient due to AI integration, particularly in fields such as data analysis, content creation, and administrative support. Overall, U.S. employment and wage levels have remained steady, with no signs of significant decline.

However, the study also highlighted a noteworthy trend: young workers aged 22 to 25 appear more vulnerable to AI-driven disruptions than other age groups. In “high AI-exposure” occupations, employment among this group declined by approximately 13% compared to those in lower-exposure professions. The researchers suggest this may be linked to the inexperience of new entrants to the labour market. When companies adopt new technologies, they often allocate retraining and transition opportunities to more senior employees, leaving younger workers more susceptible to reassignment or replacement.

The team emphasised, however, that this does not imply young workers are incapable of adapting. Instead, it indicates a need for greater investment in training and support, enabling them to learn how to work alongside AI and strengthen their competitiveness in a changing job landscape.

In Asia, Japan presents a contrasting picture. Facing an ageing population and chronic labour shortages, AI has been embraced there as a vital tool to fill workforce gaps. According to a recent International Monetary Fund (IMF) report, Japanese workers are less exposed to AI than their American counterparts; however, the introduction of generative AI has already begun to improve overall productivity across various sectors.

A separate multinational survey found that about 69% of American workers have used generative AI tools, compared with only 31% in Japan. In both countries, roughly 20–30% of workers expressed concern about being replaced by AI within the next decade. Nevertheless, Japanese employees and corporations tend to view AI more cautiously, adopting new technologies at a slower, more deliberate pace.

Taken together, global labour markets share a similar pattern: AI is emerging more as a collaborator than a competitor. Yale’s research underscores that humans still hold the reins—what matters most is whether individuals and organisations can adapt their roles and skills in time. Experts predict that the next decade will be a critical period of human–AI coexistence, and those who learn to harness these tools effectively will become the most competitive professionals in the future workforce.