#Japan #Manufacturing #Tokyo #AI Adoption #Netskope

Accelerated AI Adoption in Manufacturing Sector

The manufacturing industry is witnessing a significant transformation with the acceleration of AI integration, as highlighted in a recent report by Netskope Threat Labs. This analytical arm of Netskope, a leading provider of cloud and AI security solutions, has revealed that the rate of authorized AI usage in manufacturing is nearing that of unapproved "shadow AI" usage by just a 10-point gap.

The report indicates that 94% of manufacturing companies are now utilizing generative AI applications. The trend shows a remarkable decline in the use of generative AI tools by individuals without organizational approval, dropping from 83% in December 2024 to 51% by September 2025. Conversely, the formal utilization of authorized generative AI tools surged from 15% to 42%. This shift emphasizes a movement towards organized AI governance within the sector.

According to the latest report titled "Netskope Threat Labs: Manufacturing 2025," 29% of manufacturing companies have adopted at least one of the three leading generative AI platforms as private AI systems. Among these, Azure OpenAI leads the way, followed by Amazon Bedrock and Google Vertex AI. The adoption rates within the industry, however, lag slightly behind global averages, indicating that as secure and integrated AI infrastructures for businesses become more established, further growth is anticipated.

A breakdown of data policy violations reveals that the majority stem from AI and cloud applications, including sharing regulated data (41%), intellectual property leaks (32%), and the exposure of passwords and API keys (19%). The report warns that due to the high confidentiality of intellectual property and business data in manufacturing, such leaks represent severe risks that could undermine compliance and competitive edge.

Gianpietro Cutolo, a cloud threat researcher at Netskope Threat Labs, remarked, "The steady progress towards placing AI under governance management and establishing systematic oversight within manufacturing companies is significant. The narrowing gap between formally approved AI use and unmanaged, unauthorized use indicates that efforts to implement these technologies under proper security and governance frameworks are proving effective."

As firms shift towards platforms equipped with suitable protective features and acceptable use policies, the manufacturing industry is demonstrating that innovation and security can coexist. The forthcoming challenge will be to maintain this balance as AI becomes more deeply integrated into business and production processes.

Additionally, the latest research from Netskope Threat Labs has revealed several more key insights:

• - Currently, 67% of companies are utilizing api.openai.com to connect for internal tools and task automation, indicating a trend towards integrating generative AI through APIs, beyond just browser access.
• - Among AI-related data breach incidents, source code accounts for 28%, often due to developers using generative AI for coding tasks without proper management frameworks in place.
• - Microsoft OneDrive, GitHub, and Google Drive are the most abused cloud platforms for malware distribution in the manufacturing sector, with 18%, 14%, and 11% of manufacturing firms respectively reporting malware downloads from these services every month.
• - Personal cloud applications like Google Drive, LinkedIn, and OneDrive are extensively used within corporate networks, resulting in blurred lines between personal data and business data handling.

Research Methodology

Netskope protects millions of users globally from threats. The information contained in this report is based on anonymized usage data collected through the Netskope One platform, provided by users in 37 Asian countries (including India, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia) with prior consent during the period from September 2024 to September 2025.

You can view the full report here.

About Netskope

Netskope (NASDAQ: NTSK) leads the industry with cutting-edge security and networking technologies suited for the cloud and AI era. It provides optimized access and real-time context-based security regardless of where people, devices, or data are located, addressing the needs of both security and network teams. Thousands of customers, including over 30 Fortune 100 companies, trust and utilize the Netskope One platform, Zero Trust engine, and robust NewEdge network. These solutions enable organizations to visualize usage across all cloud, AI, SaaS, web, and private applications, enhancing security risk mitigation and network performance. For more information, visit netskope.com/jp.