Survey Finds Most Small Businesses See AI as a Tool to Grow, Not Replace Workers

Despite headlines suggesting artificial intelligence (AI) will replace humans, a new survey from Cox Business reveals that most small business owners and employees view AI as a way to strengthen and grow their teams.

The survey, conducted to gauge small business attitudes toward AI, found that 52% of small business owners and 65% of employees believe AI helps them increase or retain staff. Additionally, many owners are boosting AI investments in 2024 to enhance customer service, marketing, and sales.

Comfort with AI is high: 85% of owners and 75% of employees report feeling somewhat to very comfortable using AI tools within their organizations.

Small business owners also noted the positive impact of AI on customer experience in 2023, with plans to use AI this year for:

• Online product or service recommendations (36%)
• Online order placement (35%)
• Website live chatbots (35%)
• Customer service calls (33%)

One-third of small businesses invested in AI last year, and 53% plan to increase AI spending in 2024.

Mark Greatrex, president of Cox Communications, said, “Small- and medium-sized businesses are embracing AI to boost productivity and improve customer experience, helping entrepreneurs grow their businesses. Our RapidScale generative AI practice accelerates this process.”

However, implementing AI remains a challenge for some. Currently, 75% of small business owners manage AI implementation themselves. While many felt minimal impact from last year’s IT labor shortages, 42% of owners and 43% of employees reported effects such as added job responsibilities, increased workplace stress, and longer hours.

Jeff Breaux, executive vice president of Cox Business, emphasized the role of expert support: “For SMBs with limited tech resources, building AI models can be daunting. RapidScale’s engineers help make generative AI accessible and guide businesses on effective deployments to drive growth.”