According to a Cox Business survey, most small business owners and employees see artificial intelligence (AI) as a way to strengthen and grow their teams.
Cox Business surveyed small business owners and their employees to understand their attitudes toward AI and how they are using it in the workplace. Of those surveyed, 52% of small business owners said AI has helped them attract or retain employees. 65% of small business employees said the same.
The survey also revealed that small business owners are increasing their investments in AI to boost customer service, marketing and sales in 2024.
The survey revealed that both small business owners and employees are relatively comfortable with AI: 85% of owners say they are somewhat to very comfortable with using AI tools in their business, and 75% of employees say they are somewhat to very comfortable with using AI tools in their business. 53% of small business owners say AI has had a positive impact on customer experience in 2023 and plan to use AI to support customer experience this year.
One-third of small business owners invested in AI last year, and 53% plan to invest more in AI in 2024.
“The data clearly shows that small and medium-sized businesses are embracing AI,” said Mark Greatrex, president of Cox Communications. “Leveraging AI to increase productivity and improve customer experience helps entrepreneurs take their business to the next level and thrive. RapidScale's Generative AI practice makes it easier to realize the benefits faster.”
