Michigan small businesses embrace AI
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Claude, the AI assistant from Anthropic. Photo: Robert Michael/picture alliance via Getty Images
Local small businesses are embracing AI, though many say it's not central to their work, according to Goldman Sachs survey data shared with Axios.
The big picture: Big and small companies are figuring out whether to incorporate AI into their workflows, and what that means for productivity and creativity.
By the numbers: A national survey of 2,474 small business owners who graduated from or participated in Goldman Sachs' 10,000 Small Businesses program found 86% of program graduates use AI in their workplaces.
- In Michigan, 86% of 70 surveyed small businesses said they use it, though 39% said they're just experimenting and it's not consistent.
- 86% spend $100 or less per month, while 14% don't pay for it at all.
Zoom in: Michigan business owners have various reasons for using AI.
- 59% use it for writing marketing content.
- 46% for strategy and business development.
What they're saying: The New Economy Initiative (NEI) is seeing high demand for AI training workshops for small, local businesses, according to executive director Wafa Dinaro. The philanthropic organization that supports entrepreneurs wants to see them use it smartly and creatively to increase their bottom lines.
- But NEI also has privacy concerns and wants to teach business owners how to protect their most sensitive information.
- "We know this is moving very fast, and how do we get Detroit businesses to adopt AI, but adopt it in a way that benefits them," Dinaro says.
Case in point: Detroit-based chef and content creator Angela Davis of The Kitchenista Diaries told Axios in an email that AI can help manage time-intensive tasks, like a virtual assistant.
- "For small-business owners who can't afford to hire help for every task, including many marginalized entrepreneurs, I see real potential to make that workload more manageable," she wrote.
Yes, but: Davis dislikes how AI-generated content all sounds and looks the same, and that it can reproduce original work.
- She creates all public-facing content herself, and wants stronger protections for artists and other creatives.
The bottom line: AI is becoming more integrated into the small business landscape, though concerns remain.