Special Survey: AI Has Become Part of Everyday Life at SMEs—But Caution Prevails When It Comes to Investment

• 58 percent of SMEs are already using AI; two-fifths have even integrated it into their business processes.
• Only about 15% of companies expect AI to lead to higher productivity or staff reductions. 
• Currently, only 16 percent are planning significant AI investmentsStefan Beismann, Head of Corporate Banking at DZ BANK: “Political framework conditions must make investments in AI easier and more predictable, as well as economically viable—for example, through targeted tax incentives or depreciation options.”

About 40 percent of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) believe that artificial intelligence (AI) can transform the economy as fundamentally as the Industrial Revolution once did. This is according to a representative survey of more than 1,000 owners and managing directors of SMEs in Germany. AI has become part of everyday business practice for many SMEs: 58 percent of the companies surveyed report that they are already using AI. Thirty-seven percent are integrating AI applications into their processes and business operations or are planning to do so. Forty-four percent are already testing the use of AI. About one in five companies uses language models in marketing or sales or plans to do so, for example, for chatbots to answer frequently asked customer questions. There are significant differences in AI usage by industry and company size. For example, 73 percent of companies in the electronics industry already use AI, whereas in agriculture, only one in five companies does.

The survey also shows that many SMEs remain cautious when it comes to the economic evaluation of AI. For 41 percent of the companies surveyed, the concrete economic benefits are not yet clearly apparent. Only 16 percent expect that the use of AI will lead to higher productivity. When it comes to potential workforce reductions, the figure is just 15 percent. “AI is primarily changing work processes and skill requirements in SMEs. However, SMEs do not yet expect that the use of AI will lead to a reduced need for workforce. Tasks are more likely to shift and evolve rather than simply disappear. It will be crucial to prepare employees for this change early on and provide them with targeted training,” says Stefan Beismann, Member of the Management Board at DZ BANK.

AI Adoption Varies, Willingness to Invest Is Low

Despite widespread interest in AI, the overall reluctance among SMEs to invest is also reflected in the area of artificial intelligence. Only 16 percent of the companies surveyed are currently planning significant spending on AI. Even in the electronics industry, which is among the pioneers in AI adoption, fewer than one in three companies intends to invest in AI-based processes, workflows, or business models. In the agricultural sector, the share is as low as two percent. 
The picture also varies depending on company size. Among larger medium-sized companies with annual revenue exceeding 50 million euros, 76 percent already use AI, but only 38 percent plan to make significant expenditures on related applications. Among small companies with annual revenue of less than five million euros, 49 percent use AI, but only 11 percent are willing to invest.

Data Protection Is the Biggest Obstacle to AI Adoption

Companies face tangible hurdles in adopting AI. The companies surveyed cite data protection and legal uncertainties as the biggest obstacles to AI adoption. Forty-three percent view these as barriers. This is followed by a lack of use cases and a shortage of time, each at 42 percent. More than a quarter of companies—27 percent—also cite a lack of skilled personnel as a barrier. However, only seven percent of respondents currently plan to specifically hire experts in this field. “Many companies have so far managed to get started with AI using existing resources. For AI to become widespread among small and medium-sized enterprises, however, access to new technologies must also be economically viable for small and medium-sized companies. Many companies recognize the potential of AI but face challenges in practical implementation due to limited personnel resources, time constraints, and significant uncertainty regarding investments in expertise, training, and suitable tools,” says Beismann. “This makes practical data protection standards, clear regulations for the secure handling of corporate data, and a supportive policy framework all the more important. Only these factors make investments in AI easier and more predictable and, moreover, enable the necessary economic efficiency—for example, through targeted tax incentives and depreciation options.” 

Here you can find the study.