While National Small Business Month highlights the role local businesses play in their communities, it also serves as a reminder of how rapidly the tools small business owners like me rely on are changing. Not so long ago, researching real estate ownership required days of research into historical records such as Revolutionary War land grants and centuries-old Virginia real estate documents. Today, much of that information can be gathered in a fraction of the time using artificial intelligence. For small businesses like mine, it’s not just a convenience, it’s a fundamental change in how we operate and service our customers.
While artificial intelligence is often discussed in terms of future risks and use by large enterprises, small and medium-sized businesses are already leveraging these tools in everyday practical ways. In fact, approximately one in four small and medium-sized businesses are already using AI in their daily operations. It is important to ensure that policies reflect reality.
This reality was at the forefront of a recent meeting in Washington, D.C., with Representative Morgan Griffiths and staff from the offices of Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine. In these conversations, one thing became clear: policy discussions have not fully caught up with how small and medium-sized businesses are leveraging AI today. That disconnect is important.
AI has become an essential tool in the title and settlement industry, where accuracy and efficiency are critical. This allows you to investigate complex historical records more quickly and helps solve title problems that once required days of manual effort. It also supports day-to-day business functions such as outreach emails, social media content, and marketing. AI-powered advertising tools on social platforms like Facebook and Instagram allow small businesses to craft ad copy, target specific audiences, and optimize campaigns in ways that were once only possible with dedicated marketing teams. AI streamlines content creation, data analysis, and document review, allowing small businesses to accomplish more without adding staff.
However, the benefits are only really realized if these tools are accessible. As I shared with Congressional staff, affordability must be a priority. If pricing models shift to enterprise-level contracts or costs increase rapidly, small businesses will be forced to lower prices on the tools they currently rely on to stay competitive.
Transparency is equally important. When using AI-powered advertising tools, I need to understand how my data is being used and what assumptions the system is making on my behalf. When leveraging AI to interpret historical documents or draft communications with clients, you need to be confident in the authenticity of the output. In an industry where accuracy is important, even small errors can have a big impact. Clear and consistent standards regarding disclosure, limitations, and reliability are essential.
Small businesses don’t need to be protected from AI, but they do need to be clear. We need to know when the output becomes probabilistic, how the system is trained, and where human oversight is needed. Without that transparency, we end up managing risks that are not fully visible.
None of this changes the nature of what small businesses offer. In the title and settlement industry, as in many service industries, client-provider relationships are built on trust. AI can enhance that relationship, but it cannot replace it.
My concern is not that AI will eliminate jobs, but that its benefits may be distributed unequally. If access is limited by cost or shaped primarily by corporate needs, small businesses risk being left behind.
What we need from policymakers is not theoretical guidance, but practical guardrails that reflect how AI is already being used. This means protecting affordability, demanding meaningful transparency, and ensuring the realities of small businesses are incorporated into the way these rules are written.
Virginia’s small businesses aren’t waiting for AI to arrive. We’re already using it, learning from it, and building with it every day. During National Small Business Month, policymakers should keep that reality top of mind. The question now is whether they will follow that pace. That way, AI can continue to be a powerful equalizer. Otherwise, we risk widening the gap between small and medium-sized enterprises and the largest companies in the market.
Tina Merritt is a licensed title and settlement agent in Blacksburg.
