Why the Smartest Entrepreneurs Are Using AI to Be More Human, Not Less

Small business owners have never been more digitally fluent. They use social media to market products and services, advanced networking tools to support their operations, and now, AI to increase productivity. Most small and midsize business owners have already embraced AI; a whopping 88% report using the technology, and 90% say it helps their business grow. It should come as no surprise, given the high adoption rate and positive sentiment, that many small business leaders (71%) expect to increase AI usage even more in the future.

While AI adoption is widespread today, SMBs are still exploring new ways to implement the emerging technology, especially with regard to improving customer service. The question is no longer whether to incorporate new tools but rather how owners can use these tools to enhance customer relationships in order to strengthen their businesses.

Small and midsize business owners understand the importance of good customer service. It requires time, which is difficult to dedicate when juggling multiple priorities in the service of scaling a business. Historically, big businesses attempted to resolve the amount of time customer service takes by automating and outsourcing.

While their attempt to simplify this through new technology and methods earned mixed results, it has historically soured the customer service experience for many. Small businesses took note and are taking a more strategic approach. 

Human interaction above all else

Instead of chasing full automation like some of their larger enterprise competitors, small and midsize businesses are approaching AI with a cooperative intent. While automation and streamlining workstreams can undoubtedly go a long way toward easing the administrative and logistical burdens, small and midsize businesses are instead using AI in ways that strengthen — and not sideline — the human relationships at the heart of their work. 

Research shows that two-thirds of small and midsize businesses prioritize authentic customer connections while also actively adopting AI, which suggests small and midsize business leaders don’t see authentic connections and AI as mutually exclusive.

That’s a philosophy that will carry small businesses through the coming years — choosing to deploy AI where it adds the most value, and at the same time, prioritizing the human connections that set them apart. 

Enhancing better human connection

There are two general ways in which AI can enhance human relationships for small and midsize businesses. First, it can automate workflows so that business leaders and their employees are able to reclaim time for high-value customer service. In other words, AI removes a lot of busy work so that human workers can spend more time with customers. Second, AI can enhance the customer experience by tapping data-driven insights to enable a more personalized performance and output in the moment with customers. 

Take, for example, Blk Wine Fest, a wine festival based in Cincinnati, that uses AI-powered technology and other smart solutions to support and build upon the company’s founding mission: creating communal, culturally-driven wine experiences that celebrate Black-owned wine brands. 

Reliable connectivity solutions have improved Blk Wine Fest’s event operations, with plans to scale in-app experiences for events, enabling attendees to receive real-time notifications, connect seamlessly with QR code vendors, and engage instantly, serving 1,500+ annual festival attendees. All of this frees up Blk Wine Fest’s founder Natasha Williams to spend more time curating authentic cultural experiences, educating fellow entrepreneurs through panel discussions and creating spaces where strangers become friends at her events.

Artificial intelligence tools, genuine interactions

Small and midsize business owners are adaptable, practical and strategic. They’ve turned to AI tools in a relatively short period of time because they recognize the business value of AI’s real-world use cases. Smart solutions make their lives easier and remove a lot of the onerous administrative work that normally falls on the shoulders of limited staff. With this time back, employees are able to spend more time with customers, improve services, hone their skills, and even learn new skills. Meanwhile, owners can focus on delivering better products and services while growing their businesses.

AI is a watershed for small and midsize businesses that use it well. This is a technology that can help businesses find their competitive advantage and empower them to compete with larger businesses, with the benefit of all of the wisdom and lessons learned from corporations that came before them. AI has an equalizing effect, enabling smaller businesses to scale in ways that wouldn’t have been possible before.

Technology aside, the product quality and service level become paramount. The small and midsize businesses that use AI to automate tasks and focus on improving customer relationships will emerge with superior products and service levels, not because they bypassed human interactions, but because they focused on them.