In other words, most SMBs have an uphill climb to master AI and use it to elevate their business relative to the competition. AI is no longer a future consideration for anyone—it’s here, now—and the decisions SMBs make about its deployment will have significant effects on their survival in ever-changing and challenging market environments. Fortunately, AI, when deployed wisely, brings an SMB’s natural advantages to the surface—its nimbleness, appetite for innovation, people-first culture— and positions it to lead change, rather than react to it.