AI transforms the way SMEs (small and medium-sized businesses) work, offering the benefits of efficiency and productivity for businesses adopting new technologies. This Meta report provides new insights into how AI-enabled digital platform tools can create significant growth opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises and drive economic development in six Asia-Pacific markets: Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. It utilizes survey data from around 1,100 small and medium-sized businesses across six markets.
The report shows that more than three-quarters of companies currently use at least one AI-enabled digital platform tool. These digital platform tools help small and medium-sized businesses reach new customers, expand faster and expand into new markets. In particular, 80% of small and medium-sized businesses report that digital platform tools can help reduce business costs, while 73% agree that these tools can help level the playing field between large companies.
Business benefits are set to continue growing, with nine out of 10 small businesses hoping that the digital platform AI tools will become important to their businesses in the next five years. The report also examines the long-term impact of AI on economic growth, and estimates that adoption of AI could continue to generate US$512 billion in six markets ranging from US$211 to US$512 billion.
