Investigating the Challenges and Opportunities of Implementing AI and Automation in Small Businesses

As artificial intelligence coupled with digital technologies vehemently redesigns the global business environment, small businesses experience unique opportunities and challenges different from those of bigger enterprises. Adopting the PRISMA guideline, this study systematically reviews the available literature to highlight the enablers and barriers of adopting automation and artificial intelligence in small enterprises. The findings of this study include key barriers such as organizational rigidity to change, insufficient financial resources and insufficient skilled personnel, among others. Although these challenges may sound extreme, it is essential to note that the potential of AI and its tools to improve customer engagement and operations is a globally acknowledged benefit. This study also found that these opportunities and challenges are diverse across the world, with each region experiencing its obstacles. This study concludes that although the implementation of AI and automation bears undeniable growth opportunities for small businesses globally, it also presents several challenges which call for multidimensional solutions and cross-border collaborations to help these firms overcome these challenges and cultivate potential opportunities. This research contributes to comprehending the digital evolution of small businesses, offering insights that can be useful to policymakers, industry leaders, and scholars who are interested in the relationship between digital technologies and businesses across the world’s regions. The purpose of this research is to evaluate this existing gap by spotlighting the very available opportunities for artificial intelligence and automation in these small-scale businesses, discussing their challenges and benefits and addressing their effect on business processes.