41% of small business owners don’t know what AI is

Despite a government push for small businesses to adopt AI technologies, almost half admit that they ‘don’t understand’ what AI is

Artificial intelligence (AI) applications for small businesses are continuing to expand, yet nearly a half of SME owners (41%) have admitted to not understanding what artificial intelligence is. That’s according to the latest research from AI website building platform, Zyro.

The research, which surveyed 100 small business owners across the US and UK, looked to uncover how SMEs are using the latest tools and marketing technologies, including their adoption of artificial intelligence tech.

Despite a government push for small businesses to adopt artificial intelligence, 44% of those surveyed believe AI is for technology professionals rather than small business owners. 49% are also unsure of how AI could be used to benefit their current businesses.

Despite this uncertainty, 57% of small business owners are keen to learn how AI could improve their businesses, while 51% say that they would adopt AI if it helped saved them time.

Commenting on the new research, Gytis Labašauskas, CMO at Zyro said “AI tech firms need to do a better job of promoting tools that small businesses can understand and benefit from. The appetite is there, but too much of AI is currently aimed at giant enterprises.”

“There are a huge number of different small business tasks that can be automated through AI — especially when it comes to marketing and website design. From writing promotional copy to analysing websites, and even generating new content ideas, artificial intelligence tools can save small businesses significant time and money. Through the power of AI, SME owners can be freed up to finally focus on the more meaningful tasks that will enable them to successfully grow their businesses.”