If GenAI is So Great, Why Isn’t Everyone Using It?
Bridging the GenAI Paradox: Potential vs. Practice
Think of ChatGPT for a moment. Nearly everyone has heard of it, most knowledge workers have given it a try, and the results? Impressive, right? So, if GenAI holds so much potential to make work smoother, faster, and even a bit more interesting, why aren’t small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) using it as part of their daily operations? It’s a puzzle: a technology packed with promise that’s only making a real impact in limited circles.
Consider this: as of October 2024, ChatGPT claims around 200 million weekly active users worldwide. But only 5 percent of those users are willing to pay for it. The other 95 percent? They’re using a limited, free version, often for basic tasks like summarization or even just for fun. Have you ever asked ChatGPT to roast you? It’s amusing, and it’s free. Yet if this technology has such a potential to boost productivity, shouldn’t more SMEs be integrating it into their workflows?
The answer to this paradox lies in a surprising place: not with the technology itself but with how work actually gets done. Employees are caught in processes from another era, where each step requires endless sign-offs, formal alignments, and countless approvals before real work begins. GenAI can’t thrive in such rigid environments, and so, it doesn’t.
Why GenAI Actually Matters for Small Business
Here’s the thing: GenAI isn’t just a flashy tool for big corporations anymore. Today, it’s accessible to businesses of any size. For SMEs that live and die by their ability to stay competitive, GenAI has become a genuine advantage.
Think of a small customer support team, for instance. What if they had a custom AI assistant trained on the company’s own FAQs and product details? With this assistant, each representative could handle more inquiries, answer questions faster, and still have time for meaningful interactions. It’s not about replacing people; it’s about giving them a way to skip the rote work so they can focus on the human parts of their job.
Overcoming the Paradoxes
GenAI comes with a few paradoxes of its own. First, GenAI is best suited to those who already know their field well, enhancing rather than replacing expertise. But here’s the twist: people who are already experts may not see an urgent reason to adopt GenAI. After all, they’re doing well enough as it is. However, for those seasoned in their craft, GenAI could be a “force-multiplier.” Imagine a virtuoso musician receiving a top-of-the-line instrument. It won’t change how they play, but it will amplify their abilities in ways even they might not have thought possible. GenAI has the same potential to add new dimensions to expertise, though it won’t create it from scratch.
The second paradox? The very people who stand to gain the most from GenAI’s time-saving potential often feel too busy to learn how to use it. It’s like having a GPS that could save you hours on the road, but you’re too focused on driving to even glance at the map. That’s why SMEs need a way to bring their most capable team members onto the GenAI bandwagon, and that’s where the GenAI “evangelists” come in.
Introducing GenAI Evangelists: The Key to Adoption
Think of GenAI evangelists as the early adopters who are excited about what this technology could do and eager to experiment. These individuals aren’t necessarily the resident tech experts. They could be anyone in sales, HR, marketing, you name it. What matters is that they’re the type to try out new tools, find new angles, and think in ways that others might find unconventional.
Imagine you’ve got someone in marketing who starts using GenAI to generate content ideas or create more targeted messaging. Others start to take notice of the results. Soon, people across departments might try GenAI for brainstorming, data analysis, or even customer engagement. This kind of peer-to-peer learning is where GenAI begins to shed its “new tech” aura and becomes something as familiar as a smartphone.
Creating Space for Experimentation
For GenAI to truly work, you have to make room for it. That means reconsidering those old, structured workflows and allowing more flexibility. GenAI doesn’t thrive in a rigid environment; it needs leadership that embraces curiosity and experimentation. In a sense, it’s like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. GenAI works best in environments where people are encouraged to experiment, learn from mistakes, and try again.
Practical Steps to Make GenAI Part of Your Business
The best way to start with GenAI? Find a quick win and build from there. Consider the piles of documentation many businesses accumulate over the years. A GenAI tool trained to search and summarize could help employees find the information they need in seconds rather than hours. They don’t need extensive training, just a few minutes to see how it works, and suddenly, GenAI is part of the team.
Fine-tuning a custom GPT that knows your company’s specifics isn’t just simple—it’s fast and inexpensive. With this initial setup, the benefits become obvious, and people start using it because it’s genuinely helpful. That’s when transformation begins.
The Takeaway
GenAI has the potential to reshape the SME landscape, but it won’t happen on its own. SMEs that take the initiative, that encourage curiosity, and that look to their in-house GenAI champions to set the pace will gain an advantage that others can’t match. GenAI isn’t here to replace anyone; it’s here to make everyone better and faster at what they’re already doing.
So, if you’re thinking about where to take your business next, ask yourself: are you ready to give GenAI a real shot? In a landscape where early adopters get ahead, the real value may lie with those bold enough to embrace the future now.