WASHINGTON (7News) — A new study shows AI is creating jobs, at least when it comes to small businesses.
A U.S. Chamber of Commerce survey finds small businesses are nearly eight times more likely to report that AI is creating jobs than reducing them.
About 66% of small businesses are now using AI, up from 23% in 2023. Businesses report using it for marketing, customer service, accounting, sales, and cybersecurity.
“So, what’s really interesting, in the District: 80% of the small businesses that have used AI have actually increased their workforce over the last year,” Jordan Crenshaw, Sr. VP Technology, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, tells 7News.
SEE ALSO | Data center development takes this community from ghost town to boom town
Small businesses employ roughly half of private- sector workers in the U.S. Small businesses are using AI as a time saver, to grow their business. AI can take a weeks-long process and compact it into a matter of hours, freeing workers for other jobs.
“Everything from marketing to also finding ways to cut costs on supplies… We’re also finding small businesses are using AI to even do their own coding for things like websites and apps,” Crenshaw added.
A Stanford University study shows that AI is currently replacing specific tasks, such as routine writing, data analysis, and basic coding, rather than entire occupations. This has impacted young and early-career workers the hardest, while older professionals, those 35 to 49, have seen employment remain steady or grow.
In some cases, companies that rushed to cut staff due to AI, are hiring workers back. They are discovering that human judgment, customer trust, and oversight remain critical skills that are still needed.