53% of small businesses say AI already does the work of a full-time employee
Read a stat this week that made me sit up. 53% of small businesses now say AI and automation do the work of at least one full-time employee. And three in four plan to hand a whole job to software this year instead of hiring someone. It's a US survey, so the exact number won't match here.
Read a stat this week that made me sit up.
53% of small businesses now say AI and automation do the work of at least one full-time employee. And three in four plan to hand a whole job to software this year instead of hiring someone.
It's a US survey, so the exact number won't match here. But the direction isn't subtle: the businesses growing aren't growing headcount. They're growing what one person plus AI can get through.
Here's the bit the headline skips. The same report found running lean takes a toll — 65% said it hurt their wellbeing, and owners were the worst hit. So it's not "AI replaces your team." It's: put AI on the repetitive stuff — the invoices, the chase emails, the same ten replies — so the people you do have aren't doing it at 11pm.
Next time you think about hiring, ask what the job actually is. "Do the same thing again" is increasingly a software problem. "Think and decide" is where you spend the money.