SMEs are stepping up their digital transformation, but there is still some scepticism about AI

Three and a half years after the launch of ChatGPT, Italian small and medium-sized enterprises are stepping up their adoption of artificial intelligence, but remain cautious when it comes to entrusting it with the most sensitive decisions. Almost one in two SMEs uses AI tools (45 per cent, in line with the European Union average), but 42 per cent of those using them do not yet see a significant impact on their day-to-day operations. These are the findings of a study by Qonto focusing on the relationship between SMEs, financial management and artificial intelligence.

The gap between technological experimentation and trust becomes even more pronounced when it comes to finance. 78 per cent of entrepreneurs would not delegate financial decisions to AI because they prefer to retain direct control over management (42 per cent), or state that they do not trust the technology when it comes to deciding how to allocate the company’s resources (36 per cent).

People still make investments at high street banks

The same attitude is evident in their dealings with banks. Despite the market having moved beyond digitalisation, 78% of respondents still consider it essential to be able to rely on a human point of contact and a personal relationship. Neobanks – banking institutions that operate entirely digitally and without physical branches – remain, in fact, a niche solution: they are used by 21% of businesses.

The traditional banking model remains the favourite, despite the choice of provider depending primarily on the level of costs and fees – the main evaluation criterion, ahead of the quality of customer service and ease of use. Reducing costs is crucial in the climate of caution highlighted by the study. In fact, for 36 per cent of businesses, the priority for 2026 is cost reduction and process optimisation, ahead of revenue growth. The economic outlook is not particularly favourable: more than half of companies do not plan to take on new staff, mainly due to labour costs.