Dive Brief:
- Small businesses are bullish about generative AI’s potential to positively impact their operations, according to a survey conducted by GoDaddy of 504 SMB owners.
- Nearly three-quarters of small business owners have tried generative AI tools, with 26% of those using it for work. When GoDaddy conducted a similar survey last May, only 38% of respondents experimented with generative AI tools and a sliver, just 11%, used the tools for work.
- The lion’s share — 89% — aren’t concerned about the negative consequences associated with using the technology at work.
Dive Insight:
Copyright concerns and IP leakage fears are positioned to slow enterprise adoption, but small business owners have a different point of view.
“Over the past year, we have seen more entrepreneurs embrace generative AI as they recognize the time, money and resources it can save them,” Laka Sriram, VP of Product, U.S. Independents at GoDaddy, said in an email.
Sriram attributed the rosy outlook to the types of use cases small businesses are interested in exploring. Small business owners can often feel tight on resources and manpower.
“Many of them view it as an additive technology, one that can enhance their day-to-day operations and help perform tasks like drafting content for social media or their website, or even boosting sales, instead of a replacement technology,” Sriram said.
Small businesses are leaning on tech upgrades as a sort of cure-all to boost operational efficiency, improve customer support and strengthen employee retention. To support goals, small businesses are expected to steadily increase their technology budgets, reaching 8.3% year-over-year growth by 2027, according to Analysys Mason report last year.
Technology tools that can save businesses time are alluring. By using generative AI, entrepreneurs get drafts of the content, which they can edit, build and refine until it meets brand standards, Sriram said.
“It provides them with the flexibility to scratch or start over if they don't like the suggestion,” Sriarm said. “Small business owners realize that they are always in control.”
