AI has made a splash in the business world, transforming the way we conduct business.
In fact, Deloitte reports that 73% of survey respondents plan to increase cyber investments due to generative AI programs, with 59% having invested in AI in the last year. Even the federal government has jumped onboard, using AI to simplify and expand operations.
However, risk management and regulatory compliance are the top concerns for business owners today, according to Deloitte's fourth-quarter State of Generative AI in the Enterprise study. Before businesses implement AI into their operations, it is critical to understand how it works and how it can benefit them, as well as the associated risks.
How AI Can Grow Your Business
At least half of all businesses today use AI for two or more business functions. It is no wonder why.
“For small and midsize enterprises, AI can serve as an equalizer, granting access to analytical insights and predictive tools that were once limited to larger corporations with expensive advisory teams,” says Kevin Brick of Brick Business Law.
“It ultimately supports better governance, cleaner data and more controlled growth, which are the foundations of a strong exit strategy,” he explains.
Indeed, AI can positively impact your business in several ways.
Lower Costs
With streamlined operations from automation, businesses can cut costs on typical expenses like staffing, software and management. AI can streamline processes and support budget management. This, in turn, translates into lower costs due to improved efficiency, reduced waste and fewer human errors.
“When owners use AI to organize contracts, monitor cash flow, or benchmark operational performance, they uncover risks and inefficiencies long before they become costly,” says Brick. “It also helps create consistent documentation and forecasting, which investors and potential buyers value deeply during a company’s transition or sale.”
This can translate into significant savings for businesses, improving overall financial health.
It is something Rocky Chai, CEO of Ultra Cleaning, has seen firsthand. “Three years ago, I watched our operations team drown in scheduling chaos across 800 specialists. We implemented AI for route planning and workforce allocation, and within six months, our fuel costs dropped 23% while our technicians gained an average of 90 minutes per day for actual client work instead of driving.”
Decision-making
With AI, business owners can improve decision-making.
“From my experience in process optimization, the value of AI lies in precision and scalability,” shares says Sira Masetti, Owner of Siry. “It gives organizations the power to see inefficiencies that humans often overlook, whether in production flow, resource allocation, or service delivery.”
“When properly trained and governed,” Masetti continues, “AI systems can standardize quality across multiple markets, reduce process variance and accelerate decision-making by surfacing reliable data faster than traditional methods ever could.”
Large amounts of data can be compiled and analyzed, helping business owners make better decisions for their companies. It has reshaped how business owners approach the major decisions and goals for their companies.
“The outcome is not simply cost reduction but organizational agility—leaders can use real-time intelligence to adapt strategy, improve customer experience and pursue growth with greater predictability and control,” says Masetti.
Businesses can use AI to identify trends, predict future movements and provide actionable insights. This helps streamline the company's systems and operations, contributing to overall cost savings.
“AI’s greatest advantage for business owners is that it can transform how they approach growth and decision-making,” says Brick of Brick Business Law. “From my perspective as both a business attorney and certified exit planner, what matters most is how technology converts complexity into clarity.”
It is something more and more business owners are prioritizing as they work to integrate AI into their operations.
“AI adoption is now part of nearly every growth conversation I’m having with leadership teams,” shares Klint C. Kendrick, Ph.D., SPHR, Adjunct Instructor of Human Capital Management for NYU’s Division of Programs in Business.
Efficiency
The efficiency it can bring to business can be transformative, as AI can identify and solve problems before they become an issue.
“AI changes the rhythm of finance. It takes what used to be manual, fragmented work and turns it into a continuous flow of insight,” explains Kevin A. Thomas, CFA of Omniga.ai. “Bookkeeping, forecasting, cash tracking—suddenly these are living systems, not static reports. That speed and clarity help small businesses act more like large ones, using data to guide strategy instead of reacting after the fact. “
“AI helps me move faster on the stuff that normally steals hours out of my day, like first drafts, quick summaries, and turning customer questions into clean answers, so my team can spend more time on real decisions and customer care,” says Eric Turney, Sales and Marketing Director and President at The Monterey Company.
The automation of everyday tasks can add untold hours back into your day and help you stay on track.
One popular use for AI is in marketing and content creation. AI can help create business plans, product descriptions, blogs, social media posts and job ads, while also supporting with photo and video editing. With machine learning algorithms, business owners can easily create new content that matches their business needs.
Customer Service
AI has especially proven invaluable when it comes to customer service.
“As the former President of Customer Operations at Afiniti and a senior sales and operations executive at AT&T, I've overseen AI-driven technologies across global workforces of more than 30,000 employees,” shares Anthony Tuggle, CEO and Founder of TAG US Worldwide. “I saw that technology is most effective when it is used to enhance human engagement rather than seeking to replace it.”
AI can provide 24/7 support 365 days a year, working even when your staff isn’t. Website chatbots, automated photo routing and customized responses to customer reviews can all significantly improve customer service. This, in turn, can lead to higher customer engagement and loyalty.
“AI is rewriting what customer engagement looks like inside the contact center,” explains Matt Beucler of Plura AI. “In telecom, efficiency used to mean faster call handling; now it means smarter interaction—systems that understand intent, predict needs, and automate routine responses while freeing live agents to focus on complex conversations.”
However, Beucler says, “The real gain is consistency at scale: every exchange, whether handled by AI or a person, follows the same compliance and quality standards in real time. That gives leadership a clear view of performance and customers a more seamless experience.”
Oleg Kositsyn has seen the direct impact AI can have on customer engagement and support as owner of Fusion Repair and a founder of GetARobot.ai. “We’re seeing AI reduce missed calls, handle after-hours customer inquiries, and assist with scheduling — which directly translates into more booked jobs without adding staff.”
It has made AI extremely useful in client acquisition, management and retention, translating into real profits for many companies over time.
“In customer-facing contexts, it enables more personalized communication through expanded context and research,” says Nick Myers, Director of AI Innovation at Recovery.com, “Internally, it reduces friction, speeds up iteration, and helps small teams operate with outsized leverage.”
Risks of AI for Business
This does not mean AI is without its risks.
“The biggest risks are overreach and under-ownership,” shares Myers. “If AI outputs are inaccurate in high-stakes contexts, trust erodes quickly. Legal, compliance, privacy and bias concerns must be addressed deliberately, not retrofitted later.”
Brick of Brick Business Law notes that risks are both operational and legal. “I have seen business owners embrace AI tools without fully understanding what data those systems use, where it is stored, or how the algorithms make decisions. That lack of oversight can lead to exposure in areas like data privacy, intellectual property misuse, or vendor liability.”
“On a practical level, AI that is implemented too quickly or without adequate human review can cause mistakes in contracts, compliance reports, and financial records,” Brick continues. “Those errors can ripple into serious consequences during due diligence or when negotiating a sale.”
It is more common than you may think.
“I often see organizations treat AI as a plug-in solution rather than a process transformation,” says Masetti. “Without clearly defined objectives, data hygiene practices and continuous validation, the algorithms can produce outputs that are inaccurate, biased, or misaligned with operational goals.”
Beucler of Plura AI has seen the risks first-hand. “The danger comes when companies deploy AI too aggressively or without the right safeguards. Unchecked automation can create compliance gaps, mishandle sensitive data, or erode the human empathy customers still expect.”
However, all is not lost, he says. “The trick is balance—AI should enhance authenticity, not replace it. When tuned correctly, it becomes the connective tissue between operational excellence and genuine customer trust.”
Many forget that AI is still evolving and prone to errors.
“If the models pull bad data or are misaligned with business goals, the results amplify mistakes instead of preventing them,” warns Thomas of Omniga.ai.
Dr. Kendrick of NYU provides some tips.
- Executive oversight. “Someone at the executive level must be accountable for a defined value outcome. Not the rollout. The outcome. If no one owns revenue expansion, margin improvement or capacity yield, the technology stays experimental.”
- Limitations. “Leaders have to align on what success looks like and what tradeoffs they are willing to make. If the goal is faster throughput, are performance standards changing? If the goal is margin expansion, are pricing and cost structures adjusting accordingly?”
- Quality standards. “Workflows and roles have to evolve. Managers need clarity on how to supervise AI-assisted work. Quality standards must be explicit. Without that structure, output increases, but economic results do not.”
- Discipline. “Commercial discipline also matters. Increased output does not automatically translate into growth. Sales, operations and finance leaders must convert that new capacity into revenue or margin intentionally.”
- Sequencing. “Finally, sequencing is critical. When companies stack AI initiatives on top of other change efforts without absorbing them properly, fatigue sets in and momentum stalls.”
It is important to address these issues sooner rather than later to minimize potential risks.
“Success comes from treating AI as an ongoing partnership between technology and management science, where governance, process integrity and people all evolve together,” explains Masetti.
Scott McIntosh offers his advice as Founder of DigitalTreehouse, an AI automation agency in Nashville. “Start with one specific, repeatable process. Automate that well. Measure the results. Then expand,” he urges.
“The companies that win with AI aren’t the ones adopting the most tools. They’re the ones being intentional about where AI fits,” he observes.
Bottom Line
At the end of the day, AI can be a critical tool in the growth and development of your business, but it is also important to heed the risks to ensure safe and proper use.
“Business owners should treat AI adoption the same way they would a legal agreement: by conducting careful review, ensuring accountability, and updating policies to reflect the new technology’s impact,” explains Brick. “When approached with discipline and transparency, AI can strengthen a company’s operations. When left unchecked, it can quietly create more risk than reward.”
Thomas of Omniga.ai agrees. “AI should never replace the financial narrative; it should sharpen it. When owners stay close to the story behind the numbers, AI becomes the sharpest analytical tool they’ll ever use.”
