Honda Motor has introduced a financial- incentive programme that rewards employees for effectively using artificial intelligence (AI) in their daily work, as the automaker steps up efforts to build an AI-ready workforce.
Under the initiative, employees who demonstrate advanced AI capabilities can receive a monthly bonus of up to ¥135,000 (approximately $920). The programme is designed to encourage greater adoption of AI tools across the organisation and strengthen employees’ digital capabilities.
To qualify, employees must complete a three-tier AI certification programme comprising a written examination and an interview. Based on their performance, they are assigned one of three AI- competency levels.
According to reports, around 280 employees have been AI-certified so far out of Honda’s workforce of approximately 45,000. Fewer than ten employees currently qualify for the highest monthly incentive. The company aims to increase the number of certified AI specialists to 1,000 over the next few years.
Honda expects these employees to play a key role in accelerating AI adoption across manufacturing and business operations while also helping train colleagues in the effective use of AI technologies.
The initiative forms part of the automaker’s broader workforce strategy to improve productivity, streamline operations and support innovation through AI as the automotive industry undergoes rapid technological transformation.
Other Japanese companies are also beginning to link AI adoption with employee performance and rewards. Convenience store chain FamilyMart has started considering employees’ use of AI in performance evaluations, while All Nippon Airways (ANA) has rewarded teams that successfully applied AI to improve aircraft maintenance processes.
According to the Nikkei Asian Review, fewer than 10 per cent of Japan’s 143 largest companies offered direct financial incentives for AI adoption as of March 2026. However, the number is expected to grow as organisations increasingly invest in AI-driven workforce transformation and productivity initiatives.
