Key Takeaways
- A new study finds 82% of SMB leaders are experiencing roadblocks to fully taking advantage of their AI investments
- Adoption is higher than it was last year, and many leaders report return on investment and time-savings
- Data security concerns and a lack of trust ranked highest for potential barriers to realizing AI’s full potential
82% of business leaders say they are experiencing barriers preventing them from making the most out of AI, according to a new study.
The report finds that AI adoption has, however, been a positive investment for small businesses. Over half of owners said they had seen return on investment from AI, and almost half of owners saving at least 4 hours per week.
On the other hand, security and a lack of trust are the biggest barriers preventing owners from fully exploring AI. Many leaders aren’t yet confident letting AI handle low-level business tasks without human supervision.
Over 80% of SMB Owners are Experiencing Barriers with AI
In a new study from financial technology company Bluevine, leaders reported overall optimism on AI. 68% of SMB owners said they believe AI advances will help their business, up from 61% from the year above.
While sentiment is high, however, 82% of owners are encountering at least one barrier that is preventing them from exploring AI more deeply, and potentially using the technology for all it can offer. This suggests leaders aren’t yet reaping the full benefits, even after investing in and deploying the technology.
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AI is moving fast, and the study suggests it may be moving faster than leaders can. Findings come from 942 small business owners and financial decision-makers across the US.
Over Half of SMBs are Seeing Return on Investments
Over half (52%) of business leaders reported seeing return on investment from AI, compared to only 24% that said they haven’t seen any gains yet. This could mean many businesses are still in the trial and error phase, testing out AI tools to see which ones benefit them the most.
On the other hand, other studies have suggested communication on whether AI has been beneficial can be fragmented across companies, leading to some uncertainty on whether AI has benefited a business or not.
Beyond ROI, business leaders are seeing gains across the board. Almost half (48%) of SMBs report getting back at least half a workday every week when using AI. 23% reported saving four to six hours per week, and 11% reported savings of seven to nine hours per week.
Distrust and Data Security Remain Big Concerns
Adoption is high – the study saw it rise 50% in just six months between September 2025 and March 2026. But, businesses are experiencing barriers beyond initial deployment. A significant 82% of leaders report at least one barrier to using AI deeply, arguably preventing them from taking full advantage of how the technology can help business operations.
33% of leaders cited data security concerns as their biggest barrier, up from 23% the year before. There remains among leaders a lack of understanding as to what these new tools are doing with their data, suggesting more training is needed to avoid costly data breaches.
Similarly, 31% of owners said a lack of trust in AI’s accuracy was another barrier. Only 22% of owners across the study said they were completely confident AI could do low-level business tasks without human supervision, with 78% not fully trusting AI in this sense, even when these tasks were those that would save them the most time.
Productivity, time savings, and ROI remain important metrics for businesses to focus on when using AI. However, this trust factor seems to be preventing businesses from reaping the most benefits.
