Businesses embrace AI but lack training & infrastructure for growth

A recent global survey by TeamViewer has found that while small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) are adopting artificial intelligence (AI) at a rapid pace, their overall maturity in using the technology remains limited, with a particular need for better training and infrastructure.

The survey drew responses from 1,400 business leaders worldwide, including 200 based in Australia, and highlighted both the promise and persistent challenges of AI adoption for smaller organisations. The majority of SMB decision makers—95%—acknowledge they need additional training to use AI effectively, despite 72% describing themselves as AI experts.

Productivity and insight

Australian business leaders reported notable benefits: 33% said increased efficiency and productivity were the main advantages, and a further 28% cited improved insights into processes and performance.

However, challenges remain substantial. Respondents identified the lack of education on using AI, perceived security or legal risks, and high implementation costs as their three key concerns.

The Australian findings also showed that 70% of business leaders see AI as critical to business innovation and growth, with 67% specifically concerned about the security risks related to data management and 74% stating they use AI cautiously with security measures in place. Additionally, 59% believe AI will have a positive impact on their revenue growth in the coming year provided it can be scaled effectively, while 68% expect AI will drive the most significant productivity increase in a century.

Adoption is common, but depth lags

The survey found that 86% of SMB leaders globally are comfortable with AI tools being used by employees outside of IT. Yet, regular use remains limited; only one third of SMB respondents use AI daily, and just 16% do so weekly. Despite this, 35% of SMB leaders describe their use of AI as "very mature", compared to just 22% among larger enterprises.

Failure to embrace automation through AI is viewed as a tangible risk. For 28% of SMB respondents, increased operational costs resulting from missed automation opportunities are the biggest consequence of inaction. In comparison, larger loss of competitive edge is a greater concern elsewhere, cited by 26% of the wider business community.

Security and training

Despite optimism about AI's potential—72% of SMB leaders globally expect AI to generate the greatest productivity boom of the century and 76% say it is essential to business performance—skills and security gaps persist. More than one third (38%) say insufficient AI training is a significant hurdle, with 74% expressing concern about data management risks and 65% only using AI in tightly controlled security environments. Furthermore, 77% would not risk a week's salary on their business's ability to manage risks such as unauthorised AI tool usage.

Infrastructure and investment

Infrastructure readiness is also a major issue. Nearly half (47%) of SMB decision makers say their current systems are insufficient to scale AI as swiftly as they would like. Still, signs of further investment are apparent: 75% of SMBs plan to increase their AI investment in the next 12 months, with the same proportion expecting to ramp up spending within six to twelve months. This suggests a move from initial experimentation towards more advanced implementations.

Focus on practical tools

TeamViewer has introduced TeamViewer Intelligence, featuring session insights and analytics, alongside its digital assistant, TeamViewer CoPilot, which is designed to help IT teams improve efficiency during support sessions. This tool aims to enable agents to stay focused, automate tasks, and receive real-time guidance without switching applications.

"SMBs are clearly motivated to embrace AI, but many are still searching for the right way to turn early adoption into lasting impact," said Artus Rupalla, Director of Product Management at TeamViewer. "The key isn't just more tools, but smarter integration – solutions that bring automation, insight, and consistency into everyday operations. This research confirms what we're seeing across our customer base: SMBs want AI that solves real problems, not just theoretical ones. With practical tools like TeamViewer Intelligence, we can help these businesses move from experimentation to execution and drive real performance gains."

The TeamViewer survey report focuses on respondents from businesses with 200–999 employees, and its findings underline the continued challenges faced by SMBs striving to keep pace with AI developments while addressing skills and infrastructure limitations.