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Employees Speak: New Report Shows SMB Attitude Towards AI

Group of happy colleagues talking while having business meeting in the office.

Although employees still have some concerns, SMBs confirm that they’ll be investing in AI tools in the next year or so.

Written By

Elizabeth Wallace

Aug 17, 2023

We know the hype around AI is high among large businesses and enterprises, but what’s the temperature in the small business world? According to a new report from Aircall, employees of small to medium businesses are optimistic about it, but more work lies ahead.

Optimistic about AI, but still cautious

64% of employees in SMBs are optimistic about artificial intelligence, but many of those same respondents believe there’s still much more for them to learn. The report notes that respondents are interested in learning how AI can benefit them specifically, meaning leaders could miss out on opportunities to combat misinformation and create a culture of transformation.

High ambitions should mean more education

Artificial intelligence has shown incredible potential to boost productivity and support workers during daily operations. 44% of workers are aware of this, and many also believe the presence of AI means less time doing mundane administration and manual tasks.

Employees also have ambitions for improvements in a variety of areas, including a better work-life balance. Employees in highly challenging environments could see this happen with AI integrations, and leaders should ensure employees know.

Businesses need to balance ambitious deployment efforts with caution. Employees in SMBs are concerned about how fast companies are choosing to move forward with AI and want to see greater clarity in plans for rollout. Employees aren’t optimistic that they have the proper technology, skill sets, or infrastructure to implement it effectively. The lack of human input is also a factor.

Customer-facing teams are more optimistic about AI

The pressure and speed of delivering customer experiences mean teams involved in this area tend to view AI more favorably. 74% expect artificial intelligence to provide support in the form of automation, while 68% believe it will support them in improving customer service outcomes.

Although employees still have some concerns, SMBs confirm that they’ll be investing in artificial intelligence tools in the next year or so. Correcting misconceptions about the role of AI could lead to successful implementations, and that’s straight from the employees themselves.

Elizabeth Wallace

Elizabeth Wallace is a Nashville-based freelance writer with a soft spot for data science and AI and a background in linguistics. She spent 13 years teaching language in higher ed and now helps startups and other organizations explain - clearly - what it is they do.