How AI Is Creating a Learning Gap—Depending on Whether You Use It or Not

2025/05/04

Hi, I’m Makoto Makino — author, translator, and marketing director.
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The AI Learning Gap Is Real—and Growing.

Many people still think AI is just a cool tool. But the truth is, whether you use it or not is starting to create a real difference in how people learn, think, and grow.

In this article, I share how generative AI like ChatGPT is no longer just an optional gadget—it’s becoming a new basic skill.

I used to be skeptical. I even canceled my ChatGPT subscription once because I wasn’t sure how to use it effectively. But when I came back to it—using it for writing, brainstorming, translating, and planning—it completely transformed how I work and think.

The gap between people who use AI and those who don’t is getting wider, not just in productivity, but in mindset. Some people are learning faster, solving problems better, and even thinking more creatively—because they know how to work with AI, not against it.

In Japan, AI usage is still relatively low, but younger generations are rapidly catching up. And globally? We’re already far behind.

Whether you’re in business, education, or content creation, this shift is already happening. The choice to use AI—or not—might seem small today, but it could have a big impact in the years ahead.

I Canceled My Subscription Once Too

When ChatGPT kept getting better, I found myself thinking, “Okay, this is cool… but what am I supposed to do with it?” I wasn’t sure how to use it well, so I stopped using it for a while and even canceled my paid plan.
(Partly because I was swamped with other stuff.)

But later, when I had more time working from home, I gave it another try—for writing, translating, thinking through ideas, and coming up with product concepts. And guess what? It was actually really helpful.
Now I use it all the time.

I especially like how it helps me think and bounce around ideas.
(And yes, I use other AI tools besides ChatGPT.)

ChatGPT Feels Like a Smart Buddy

Sometimes I just want to talk things out or organize my thoughts—and ChatGPT helps with that. It’s like chatting with someone who listens and throws back useful stuff.

You Don’t Need to Be a Tech Geek Anymore

In the past, you had to write perfect English prompts or learn tricky commands to get good results from AI. But now? You can just say something like,
“Hey, I want to write about ___, can you give me a good prompt?”
And boom—it gives you one.

Seriously, AI’s getting way easier to use.

“Nobody Around Me Is Using It”—That Might Be a Problem

According to Japan’s official 2024 report, only 9.1% of people here use generative AI regularly.

USA: 53.7%
China: 43.7%
UK: 39.8%
Germany: 34.6%

So yeah, Japan’s kind of behind.

Another survey said about 27% of people in Japan had ever used it. Among men in their 20s, that number jumps to over 40%. So things are changing.

If you’re thinking, “Nobody I know is using it, so I don’t need to,”
well… you might fall behind without realizing it.

Who’s Using AI in Japan (as of March 2025)?

Men in their 20s: 41% (highest among men)
Men in their 40s: 38%
Women in their 30s: 31% (highest among women)
Women in their 50s: 14%
Women in their 60s: 13%

Learning with AI: It’s a Turning Point

Some schools ban AI. Others use it as a learning tool.

One high school gave students this assignment:

Use ChatGPT to write a report about a local issue—but make sure to include your own ideas and solutions too.

That’s a great way to use it—to start thinking, not replace it.

How One Professor Uses AI with His Students and Kids

At the University of Tokyo, Professor Yuji Ikegaya (a brain scientist) encourages students to use AI. He also uses it with his daughter at home.

In his lab:

Students can use AI to translate papers. But they still have to read one English paper a day.

He says learning doesn’t grow steadily—it’s slow at first, but then takes off once things click.

If you don’t learn how to judge the content, even perfect AI answers are useless.

And now that shortcuts exist, the gap between learners and non-learners will just keep growing.

At home:

His daughter wrote a book report by herself first. Then, they asked ChatGPT to write ten different reports on the same book.

She realized, “Oh, there are different ways to see this,” and “If I add my own experiences, it goes deeper.”

Seeing clean examples helped her learn structure and style. She didn’t change her original report, but it gave her new ideas to use next time.

Honestly, I really liked his approach.