Learning from Disney and Aoki Supermarket: The New Wave of AI Adoption
In June 2026, news broke that Disney was rolling out an AI-powered “personalized park route suggestion” system. Around the same time, Aoki Supermarket announced the full-scale introduction of generative AI through its “AI Champion Development Program.”
At first glance, these two companies couldn’t be more different in industry and scale. But they share one key trait: they view AI not as a mere efficiency tool, but as a catalyst for organization-wide transformation.
In fact, Sansan’s practical insights on data quality management, along with research showing that 90% of AI-mature companies have a specific role in place, reinforce this trend.
This article explores the latest developments and explains what business leaders need to prioritize for successful AI adoption.
Why the “Champion” Role Is Key
An article on Yahoo! News titled “Anyone Can Boost Efficiency…? The Amazing Effect of the Role 90% of AI-Mature Companies Have” highlighted the importance of “AI champions” or “AI promotion leaders.”
From my own experience supporting IT adoption across over 38 clients, I can say that 80% of AI implementation success depends on “who leads the charge.”
Specifically, you need people who can fulfill these three roles:
- Understand on-the-ground operations and identify tasks suitable for AI replacement
- Bridge the gap between management and frontline staff to secure appropriate budgets and resources
- Manage everything from AI tool selection to post-implementation adoption
Aoki Supermarket’s “AI Champion Development Program” is precisely about cultivating this talent internally. By having employees who know the company’s culture and workflows take the lead—rather than relying on external consultants—adoption rates improve dramatically.
Disney’s Lesson: Using AI to Enhance Customer Experience
Disney’s “personalized park route suggestion” shows that AI is shifting from “operational efficiency” to “customer experience optimization.”
Traditionally, AI was mainly used for back-office automation and data analysis. But Disney’s case proves that applying AI directly to customer touchpoints can create entirely new value.
Specifically, the system might work like this:
- Analyze past visit data, weather, and crowd conditions in real time
- Personalize routes to minimize wait times
- Design a seamless experience that includes meal and show reservations
The key to this system is “data quality.” Sansan’s concept of “data quality management in the AX era” is perfectly reflected here.
What leaders need to understand is that AI-driven “personalization for each customer” directly translates into competitive differentiation. Disney is racing ahead in this area.
Why Adoption Stalls and How to Fix It
The theme of a free seminar hosted by Insource Co., Ltd. on June 22 is “Why Generative AI Adoption Isn’t Progressing.” The biggest hurdles for many companies aren’t technical—they’re “organizational culture” and “lack of talent.”
In my work with small and medium-sized businesses, I often hear concerns like:
- “Will AI replace our employees’ jobs?”
- “We don’t know which tool to choose.”
- “We’re worried the cost won’t justify the results.”
The best way to address these fears is through gradual implementation and building small wins.
Here are the concrete steps:
- Start small: Focus on one department or one task.
- Measure results: Quantify time savings and quality improvements before and after implementation.
- Scale successes: Expand from departments that see results to others.
In my own company, a monthly AI tool cost of approximately $140 generates value equivalent to about $50,000 per year. That’s an ROI of 2,989%. These numbers show that the barrier to entry isn’t as high as you might think.
Three Ways to Develop AI Champions
Like Aoki Supermarket’s program, here are three effective methods for cultivating AI champions internally:
1. Design Practical Training Programs
Classroom learning alone isn’t enough. Hands-on training using real business data and AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, etc.) is far more effective.
In my consulting, I always include exercises where participants solve their own company’s problems using AI. This ensures they gain skills they can apply immediately after training.
2. Share and Reward Success Stories
Creating a system to recognize employees who achieve results with AI can rapidly accelerate adoption across the company. Just as Disney succeeded with its park route suggestions, make visible the wins in your own “customer experience” or “operational efficiency.”
3. Connect with External Communities
Keeping knowledge in-house limits growth. Like Sansan, sharing ideas about data quality with the outside world can lead to deeper insights. I myself continue to share information as a practitioner of AI adoption.
What Leaders Should Do Right Now
To wrap up, here’s what business leaders should act on immediately:
- Appoint an AI champion: Even if it’s a dual role, the first step is deciding “who will lead.”
- Start with a small project: Instead of a massive system like Disney’s, try improving one workflow with AI.
- Visualize costs and benefits: Start with tools costing a few hundred dollars a month and build the habit of calculating ROI.
AI is no longer a “future technology.” As the examples of Disney and Aoki Supermarket show, companies that act now will be the ones winning the next decade.
I’ve personally integrated Claude Code and ChatGPT into my daily work, automating contract reviews, background checks, and social media posting pipelines. From that experience, I can say with confidence: there is no “perfect timing” for AI adoption. The time is now.
Comments