AI and Entrepreneurship: Opportunities and Solutions

By SBE Council at 16 April, 2026, 10:27 am

by Raymond J. Keating –

When it comes to innovation, including new technologies, hitting the marketplace, most entrepreneurs ultimately see opportunity, rather than problems. Or, when they identify potential related problems, entrepreneurs come up with solutions. Indeed, these are the fundamentals of the entrepreneurial life.

Hence, it should surprise no one that most entrepreneurs see opportunity emerging with the development of artificial intelligence (AI). For good measure, they seek out answers to potential problems.

Check out the results in SBE Council’s annual “Small Business Technology Use Survey” regarding AI tech and tools. Entrepreneurs largely identify opportunities. For example:

● 90% of small business owners “are confident in their ability to pivot and adopt AI and digital tools.”

● 78% of entrepreneurs have varying degrees of optimism related to AI, with another 14% willing to “wait and see.” Only 9% rank as doom-and-gloomers.

● And among small businesses using AI, 81 percent say that these tools and tech are important to their businesses.

Indeed, there are all kinds of ways for AI to enhance productivity, and thereby boost business profitability, employee earnings, and value for customers. As for some measurables among the findings in the SBE Council survey were the following:

● 82% of small business employers have adopted at least one AI tool, and the typical small business uses five different AI tools across operations.

● Among AI users, 66% of small businesses report revenue increases linked to AI – 22% pointing to revenue gains exceeding 10%.

● Business owners report saving a median 5 hours per week of their time.

● Businesses report saving a median 11.5 employee hours per week.

● 93% of small businesses plan to keep making investments in AI over the next year, with 62% reporting they will increase those investments.

● Small business owners largely see AI augmenting workers rather than replacing them, with 52% saying AI complements employees, while only 8% say it primarily replaces workers. In addition, over the coming year, 40% of AI small business users say they plan to increase hiring.

There’s also the reality that improvements and efficiencies gained through technological investments and enhancements wind up reducing the barriers to entrepreneurship. As the costs of starting up and operating a business decline, the door to entrepreneurship is pushed further open. On the other end, some individuals see real or potential problems, and find solutions via starting their own business.

Again, these two paths to entrepreneurship are not new. Some entrepreneurs present new goods and services to the marketplace, while others see ways to solve problems. In addition, there are entrepreneurs who willingly dive into the waters of entrepreneurship, while others are unexpectedly, even reluctantly, pushed into the deep end.

An interesting article at CNBC.com captured much of this as it relates to AI for a variety of entrepreneurs. It was noted: “Anticipating future layoffs, some Americans are leaving their jobs preemptively to start businesses. Many of them say AI makes launching a startup easier. Others say they’re leaving on their own terms before suffering AI-related job cuts.”

One entrepreneur, Travis Di Lombardi-Spicer, combined these developments. He saw his audio producing job threatened by AI, and rather than waiting around for the end to come, he decided “to launch the beta version of Spotbookr, his AI-powered consumer spending and advertising analytics business, in May 2025.”

Another entrepreneur, Michelle Yeung, saw her job ultimately threatened by AI, so she went from being a well-paid software engineering career to opening Matcha House, a cafe in New York’s East Village.

The benefits of AI helping startups also is highlighted. “While AI may threaten some workers’ job stability, it can also help aspiring entrepreneurs start businesses,” noted Saikat Chaudhuri, faculty director of the entrepreneurship hub at the University of California, Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. “The technology can help create basic websites or business plans, no prior expertise required, he says. In some contexts, it can handle basic, fundamental tasks — often administrative — that founders would otherwise need to spend extra time doing themselves, or hire and pay people to do.”

New technology is disruptive. While the net change is overwhelmingly positive, resulting in increased economic, income and employment growth, there naturally is displacement. And entrepreneurship often becomes the best option for those being disrupted, if you will. At the same time, that very same disruptive technological change, and other innovations, create new entrepreneurial opportunities.

Raymond J. Keating is chief economist for the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council. He is the author of “The Weekly Economist” book series, and 10 Points from Walt Disney on Entrepreneurship.