Micro, small, and medium-sized Brazilian companies (MSMEs) have a positive outlook on the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI), with 77% of decision-makers considering that AI streamlines their company's processes. It is what the research revealsAI in micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises: trends, challenges, and opportunities, commissioned by Microsoft to Edelman Comunicação. According to the study, 75% of the interviewed companies state that they are optimistic about the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on their work, and this is reflected in the companies' investment plans, which say they will continue investing or will invest for the first time in AI (73%), with 61% of them already having an action plan or specific goals related to this technology.
Optimism regarding AI similarly affects different hierarchical levels within SMEs. According to the survey, 54% of leaders state that AI is a priority in the company. Among employees, the optimism index regarding the results of AI in their activities is 64%. Decision-makers highlighted several benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) in their operations: 77% observe an improvement in work quality, 76% consider that AI increases productivity, and 70% believe it enhances customer satisfaction. Employee motivation and engagement are also positively impacted by this technology, as indicated by 65% of respondents. Among the main applications of AI are virtual assistance for customer service (73%), internet research (66%), and personalized services (65%).
Brazilian companies are increasingly aware that AI can be an ally in business growth. That is why we see optimism translating into action plans," says Andrea Cerqueira, Vice President of Corporate Sales for Clients and Startups at Microsoft Brazil.
SMEs are also more familiar with technology: approximately half (52%) of decision-makers in SMEs say they are extremely or very familiar with AI. Yes, aligned with optimism, it is driving investment intentions. The movement is led by small businesses (10 to 99 employees) with 85%, followed by micro (1 to 9 employees) with 71% and medium (100-249) with 64%.
SMEs have clear expectations and purposes when investing in AI. For 59% of medium-sized companies and 53% of small companies, gains in efficiency, productivity, and agility are the main reasons for adopting generative AI. Already, 60% of microenterprises indicate that improving service and customer satisfaction is what most motivates them to invest in AI. Only 13% of micro and small businesses and 12% of medium-sized businesses cited cost reduction as the main reason.
Areas leading the adoption of AI within SMEs
In its fifth year, Edelman's survey commissioned by Microsoft indicated that marketing (17%), IT (16%), and customer service (14%) are the main areas responsible for the adoption of artificial intelligence in companies in Brazil. However, differences were observed according to the type and size of the organization.
Among non-native digital users, marketing leads the adoption of AI and management actively participates in the purchasing decision. In native digital companies, IT is the main responsible for adoption and purchasing decisions. In general, significant contributions were also observed from the finance (28%), customer service (27%), human resources (25%), and sales (16%) departments in the decision-making process for purchasing artificial intelligence tools.
AI is transforming the way we work, making previously complex processes easier and freeing up professionals' time to be more creative and strategic. No wonder, we see different areas adopting and influencing AI purchases within SMEs, which need to increase their efficiency without sacrificing cost control, comments Andrea Cerqueira.
Generative AI technology, capable of producing content and processing large volumes of data, has also been gaining specific applications within SMEs. Technology is primarily used in the creation of new solutions and products (57%), in streamlining work (52%), in data processing for decision-making (45%), in document translation (42%), and in supporting marketing and customer acquisition tasks (39%).
The study indicated that time savings is the main benefit of Generative AI, cited by about half (53%) of SMEs. Companies are discovering gains in efficiency and productivity (47%), improvement in customer experience (44%), and reduction of human errors (38%).
Qualification is an important demand
SMEs point out the difficulty of finding a qualified workforce and training their professionals as challenges in implementing AI in their businesses. According to the study, 28% of SMEs highlight difficulties in hiring specialized talent. Already 24% report difficulties in training their current teams, with a higher percentage among medium-sized companies (33%).
Currently, AI skills are already the main demand of medium-sized companies (63%) in the talent acquisition and development process. Demand is also high among small (41%) and micro (30%) companies, although they also prioritize soft skills, such as collaborative work (52%) and interpersonal skills (52%).
Digital transformation is carried out strategically when it is inclusive. AI training should be considered in talent acquisition and retention strategies, regardless of the company's size. The future of AI in Brazil depends on the productive inclusion of SMEs and the qualification of their employees. For professionals who wish to become more competitive, developing these skills is essential. At Microsoft, we have several free initiatives to address this challenge, highlights Andrea Cerqueira.
To help address this challenge of the Brazilian economy, Microsoftlaunched the ConectAI program in September 2024, which aims to train 5 million people in Brazil by 2027 in AI-related skills and prepare the Brazilian workforce for market transformations, aiming to ensure a more equitable and inclusive future. A company will invest R$ 14.7 billionin cloud infrastructure and artificial intelligence (AI) in Brazil to foster the development of the AI ecosystem in the country.
Cybersecurity
Six out of ten companies recognize the need to promote cultural changes to leverage the benefits of technology. The study identified some bottlenecks for companies to implement their AI adoption plans: investment costs and access to technology (34%), data privacy concerns (33%), and cybersecurity threats (27%).
According to the survey, risks related to data theft or misuse are the main concerns of companies regarding AI, with 48% of responses. Next, the concern about the manipulation of AI models (33%) and the use of malicious software powered by this technology (30%) are mentioned.
These risks require companies to establish clear policies for AI use, governance, and data protection while also meeting their employees' demands for access to this technology.In terms of regulation, 53% of decision-makers are very or extremely familiar with the AI regulatory landscape, although this familiarity is lower among microenterprises (31%).
