Local Governments Forge a New Frontier in AI Utilization
A case study presentation on AI-driven work efficiency was held in Haga Town, Tochigi Prefecture. At first glance, this might seem like a small-town initiative. However, this news offers a realistic solution for organizations with limited budgets and personnel on how to put AI into practical use.
From my own experience supporting IT adoption in over 38 companies, I can say that the success of AI implementation boils down to “starting small.” The Haga Town case is rich with insights in this regard.
In this article, using this case as a starting point, I will share concrete steps for AI adoption that business owners, CTOs, and back-office managers can immediately implement in their own companies, including specific tool names and cost estimates.
The Essence of “Starting Small” as Shown by Haga Town
Unfortunately, the Yomiuri Shimbun article did not include detailed data such as specific tools used or hours saved. However, this makes the very fact that “a local government held a case study presentation on AI utilization” all the more significant.
Local governments face even stricter budget constraints than private companies and struggle to secure IT talent. The fact that they have ventured into AI use in such an environment is proof that the barriers to entry have dropped dramatically. In fact, among the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) I support, there are increasing cases where AI tools costing a few thousand to tens of thousands of yen per month (approx. $20–$200 USD) are delivering sufficient results.
For example, the following tasks can be started today without any special development:
- Automatic meeting minutes creation (by feeding audio data into ChatGPT or Claude)
- Draft generation for standard documents (using templates in Claude Code)
- Automatic FAQ generation for resident inquiries
The common thread here is “not aiming for perfection.” Instead of seeking 100% accuracy from the start, prioritize speed even if it’s only 60% right. This is the golden rule for organizations with resource constraints, like Haga Town, when using AI.
3 Steps for AI Adoption That Business Owners Should Know
If you apply the Haga Town case to your own company, I recommend proceeding with the following three steps.
Step 1: Inventory of Personalized Tasks
First, list the tasks in your company that “only a specific person knows” or “are not documented.” In my experience, these often include accounting processes, contract reviews, and initial customer responses.
These are areas where AI excels and are directly linked to the management challenge of “eliminating reliance on specific individuals.” Personally, by introducing AI for contract checks, I was able to reduce review time per document by 80%.
Step 2: Proof of Concept (PoC) with Free or Low-Cost Tools
There’s no need to jump into large-scale system investments. Start small with free or low-cost tools like these:
- ChatGPT (the free version offers sufficient accuracy)
- Claude (free version available, excellent for long-form text processing)
- Google Workspace AI features (built into Gmail and Docs)
In my own case, when building an automated social media posting pipeline, I first ran it with a free API and a simple script, confirmed the results, and then migrated to the production environment. With this approach, even if it fails, the loss is minimal.
Step 3: Horizontally Expand Success Stories
Once the PoC proves effective, roll it out to other tasks. The key is “not trying to do everything at once.” The Haga Town case study presentation was likely also aimed at gaining organization-wide understanding by starting with a few departments and sharing success stories.
One of my clients expanded a successful AI adoption case from the accounting department to other divisions, eventually scaling it to 29 business areas and 93 use cases. This resulted in a reduction of 1,550 hours per year and an ROI of 2,989%.
The Real Cost of AI Adoption: What Can You Do for 0 per Month?
Many people may have the image that “AI adoption requires enormous costs.” However, in reality, you can achieve significant results for around $140 per month.
Here’s the breakdown of the AI setup I operate:
- Claude Pro ($20/month): Long-form analysis, contract reviews
- ChatGPT Plus ($20/month): Daily text generation, brainstorming
- Grok (free to low cost): Real-time information gathering
- VPS server (approx. $3–$5/month): Execution environment for automation pipelines
Total is about $43–$45 per month. This generates value equivalent to approximately $50,000 per year. Of course, not every company will see the same results, but with the “start small and verify results” approach, the risk is extremely low.
The fact that even local governments like Haga Town are moving forward with AI adoption is proof that AI is no longer a “special technology” but a “tool anyone can use.” Business owners, why not start using AI with just one task?
Summary: The Success of AI Adoption Depends on the First Step
The case of Haga Town, Tochigi Prefecture, shows that even organizations with budget and personnel constraints can successfully utilize AI. The key is not to aim for perfection, but to start small and build on successful experiences.
Personally, when I first started using AI, I was skeptical about whether it would really work. But now, I operate 32 AI agents and have automated most of my work. That first step was simply entrusting one single task to AI.
To all business owners, I encourage you to start with “what you can do today.” Have AI take meeting minutes, generate email drafts—these small steps will become the driving force that eventually transforms your organization’s overall productivity.
The staff at Haga Town likely took that first step with the same mindset. And now, they have grown to the point where they can present their results. Your organization can start walking the same path today.
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