By Senators Kent Conrad and Saxby Chambliss:
In our 36 combined years of service in the United States Senate, we served on opposite sides of the aisle. Still, we agreed on this: America’s 36 million small businesses are the heart and soul of our economy. Our job was to give them every tool to compete and every possible advantage because these enterprises employ nearly half of private-sector employees.
Today, no technology matters more for local businesses than artificial intelligence, yet many policymakers at the federal and state levels are on the verge of getting it wrong.
AI’s efficiency gains are already showing up in day-to-day operations and bottom lines across the country. For the mechanic in North Dakota, AI can answer calls after closing, schedule appointments, and generate invoices, allowing the owner and staff to spend more time fixing cars.
Stories like these are becoming the norm, not the exception. Across industries, small businesses are using AI to do more with less. Small manufacturers can now boost their productivity and competitiveness through AI for scheduling, predictive equipment maintenance, and supply chain forecasting — capabilities that used to require a Fortune 500 budget.
This transformation extends to our neighborhood businesses, which can now scale their marketing and inventory management without depleting their limited resources. The local florist can use AI to predict which arrangements will sell near Mother’s Day, draft social media posts, and manage online orders without hiring a marketing firm. In each case, AI is lowering the high barriers that once held small businesses back.
Beyond these individual anecdotes, the data reinforce the reality on the ground. A survey of small business operators found that 94% of these local entrepreneurs reported that AI had a positive impact on their businesses. Another poll showed that 67% of small-business marketers believe AI will enable them to “punch above their weight.”
Continue reading at the Washington Examiner.