Honda Offers Monthly Bonuses of Up to JPY 150,000 to Boost Employee AI Use

According to Lianhe Zaobao citing Nikkei, Honda Motor has introduced a three-tier AI skills certification program for its Japan workforce and will pay monthly bonuses of up to JPY 150,000 (about SGD 1,189) based on performance. The program covers about 45,000 employees in Japan; as of July, 280 employees had received AI skills certification, and Honda plans to raise that figure to 1,000 in the coming years. Nikkei said the initiative aims to identify consultant-level staff who can propose AI applications across areas including R&D, manufacturing and back-office operations and help drive adoption among other employees. Honda posted a net loss of JPY 423.9 billion for the fiscal year ended March and is under pressure to improve efficiency in vehicle development and other operations. Other Japanese companies are also tying AI use to performance management: convenience store chain FamilyMart has decided to encourage all 4,500 employees to include AI-related plans when setting goals, with results reflected in performance evaluations, while ANA was among the first to add AI usage to employee evaluations starting in fiscal 2024. A Microsoft survey released in May ranked Japan 48th globally for generative AI adoption, with the United Arab Emirates ranked first, and a Nikkei survey in March found that among 143 large Japanese companies, fewer than 10% include AI usage in employee performance evaluation systems.