In this Episode:
Laurie McCabe, Cofounder & Partner at SMB Group, discusses the growing interest of business owners in utilizing AI for their operations. She highlights that they need to proactively educate themselves about its potential applications and implications to stay competitive in an evolving landscape
Podcast Highlights:
- SMBs show strong interest in AI, with over 70% being either extremely interested or somewhat interested in using it for their businesses.
- More than half of the respondents (55%) are actively exploring generative AI, even though they have busy schedules.
- A significant majority believes that AI has more benefits than drawbacks for their businesses.
- Trust in AI for business purposes is moderate, with many SMBs having confidence in their application vendors.
- Concerns about information security, data privacy, and unintended negative consequences are top AI drawbacks for SMBs.
- AI is expected to change the nature of jobs, with some being eliminated but others being created, particularly emphasizing interpersonal skills.
- SMBs should identify pain points and areas where AI can automate tasks, such as accounts payable or customer service.
- AI is rapidly evolving, and businesses need to stay educated about its potential and how it can impact their operations.
- Many resources are available from application vendors and online sources to help businesses understand and leverage AI effectively.
- AI is not a passing trend but a transformative force that SMBs need to embrace for competitive advantage.
