Organizational Processes for Adopting Breakthrough Technology: Text Mining of AI Perception among Japanese Firms

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become popular worldwide after technological breakthroughs in the early 2010s. Accordingly, many organizations and individuals have been using AI for various applications. Previous research has been dominated by case studies regarding the industrial use of AI, although how time-series changes affect users’ perceptions has not been clarified yet. This study analyzes time-series changes in AI perceptions through text mining from nonfinancial information obtained from Japanese firms’ disclosures. The main findings of this study are as follows: first, perceptions of AI vary across industries; second, the business sector has progressed through the stages of recognition, investment, strategization, commercialization, and monetization. This transition is concurrent with each category’s evolving interpretation of the innovator theory proposed by Rogers (2003), to some extent. Third, it took approximately a decade from the breakthrough technology to the monetization by Japanese firms. Our findings underline the importance of speeding up the organizational process through intervention and contribution to the areas regarding “diffusion of innovation” and perceptual characteristics.