SMEs could gain $136,000 yearly from AI, report finds
94% of SMEs using AI report productivity improvements; average potential gain is $136,000 per business yearly.
Small businesses handling mountains of admin work could save time and money with artificial intelligence. A Tech Council of Australia report found the average small or medium-sized business could gain $136,000 yearly by adopting AI.
Most gains come from cutting time on payroll, rostering and compliance work. Adopting AI broadly could inject $93 billion into the national economy.
The research showed 94% of SMEs using AI reported gains. And 54% of their employees reported higher job satisfaction.
Yet only one in four SMEs use AI at all. Just five per cent use it broadly.
Tech Council chief executive Dr Kate Cornick said the gap between what AI could deliver and what businesses are actually getting from it remains huge. Regional businesses lag behind city ones.
Key barriers include limited AI understanding, security concerns, and uncertainty about return on investment.
- $136,000
- Average yearly productivity gain
- $93 billion
- Potential national economy injection
- 94%
- SMEs reporting productivity improvements
- 5%
- Australian SMEs using AI broadly
Why it mattersSMEs struggling with rising costs and staffing pressures could cut hours spent on admin work and boost their bottom line.
AustraliaAustralian small business owners could reduce administrative burden, improve staff satisfaction, and lower operating costs through AI tools.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 2 h ago
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