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Illustration set in a modern medium enterprise setting. On one end, a vibrant section shows employees and customers benefiting from a conversational AI system, with icons of happy chat bubbles and efficient gears. On the other end, darker shades prevail, with symbols of money being poured into a machine, a firewall barrier, and a twisted neural network representing AI biases, depicting the challenges faced by the enterprise.

An Examination of the Opportunities and Challenges of Conversational Artificial Intelligence in Small and Medium Enterprises

WorkDifferentWithAI.com Academic Paper Alert!

Written by W. F. Ridho

Category: AI Business Apps

Article Section: AI in Communication and Engagement; Ethical and Responsible AI

Publication Date: 2023

SEO Description: This paper examines the opportunities and challenges of implementing conversational AI in small and medium enterprises.

Ridho, W. F. “An Examination of the Opportunities and Challenges of Conversational Artificial Intelligence in Small and Medium Enterprises.” Review of Business and Economics Studies, vol. 11, no. 3, 2023, pp. 6–17.

AI-Generated Paper Summary

Based on my review, this paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the opportunities and challenges associated with implementing conversational AI (CAI) in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Here are some key points on the paper’s novelty and potential commercial applications:

Novelty:

  • The paper fills a gap in the literature by providing one of the first comprehensive reviews focused specifically on CAI adoption in SMEs. Prior works have explored CAI more broadly, but research tailored to SMEs is limited.
  • It synthesizes insights from across the literature on CAI, SMEs, and technology adoption to provide an integrated perspective. This holistic approach is novel.
  • The author identifies specific areas requiring further research on CAI in SMEs, guiding future scholarship. The proposed research agenda adds value.

Commercial Applications:

  • The analysis of CAI benefits for SMEs, like automating operations, customer service improvements, and data insights, highlights key business use cases. SMEs can apply these.
  • Discussion of challenges with CAI integration, like technical hurdles and costs, provides SMEs insights to mitigate issues in adoption.
  • The overview of CAI applications across business functions gives SMEs ideas for implementation in areas like marketing, HR, operations.
  • The paper suggests SMEs take a strategic approach to CAI adoption. This advice can guide technology investment and integration plans.
  • Vendors could use the findings to tailor CAI solutions to SME needs and address barriers to adoption.

In summary, the paper makes good contributions to the academic literature and also has commercial relevance for both SMEs and CAI providers. Its holistic approach provides novel insights on CAI adoption for this important business segment.

Keywords

Conversational AI, Chatbots, Small and medium enterprises (SMEs), AI adoption, AI implementation

Author’s Abstract

This study aims to examine the potential benefits and challenges associated with conversational artificial intelligence (CAI) implementation within small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The study employs a comprehensive literature review and thematic analysis as the primary data collection and interpretation methods. CAI technologies are examined, including chatbots, virtual assistants, and automated response systems. These technologies offer SMEs opportunities to automate customer service operations, gain valuable customer insights, and enhance operational efficiency. However, their integration also presents technical difficulties, financial constraints, data privacy and security concerns, and inherent CAI limitations. The study results provide a nuanced understanding of CAI’s role in SMEs, offering insights into practical applications, potential benefits, and hurdles. The findings highlight SMEs’ need to strategically approach AI implementation, balancing the potential benefits and associated challenges. The key conclusion drawn from this study is that the strategic and well-planned adoption of CAI can significantly benefit SMEs. However, it should be viewed as an augmentation of existing operations rather than a complete replacement. This study also identifies the need for future research, particularly empirical studies examining the implementation of CAI in SMEs and exploring its long-term impacts and ethical implications.

Read the full paper here

Last updated on October 24th, 2023.