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Key takeaways

• A new report says broader AI adoption could unlock $93 billion in annual economic value for Australian small and medium businesses.

• The report estimates an average SME adopting AI broadly could gain $136,000 in annual productivity value.

• Only 25% of Australian SMEs currently use AI, and just 5% use it broadly.

• The report links AI use to measurable productivity gains and higher job satisfaction.

• Google is supporting practical skilling workshops at an AI x SME event in Sydney.

AI adoption could unlock major value for SMEs

A new report from the Tech Council of Australia says broader AI adoption could unlock $93 billion in annual economic value for Australian small and medium businesses. The report is called Accelerating AI Impact for SMEs. It is supported by Google, Employment Hero, and Deputy.

The report also estimates that an average SME adopting AI broadly could achieve $136,000 in annual productivity value. That figure gives a concrete sense of the scale the report associates with wider AI use. The source presents this as an estimate from the research, not as a guaranteed outcome for every business.

Current use remains limited

The report says only 25% of Australian SMEs currently use AI. It also says just 5% use AI broadly. That gap suggests there is still room for wider adoption across the SME sector.

The source highlights opportunities in construction, hospitality, and retail. In those sectors, AI is taking the weight off quoting, roster scheduling, ordering, and payroll compliance. These examples show the kinds of tasks the report associates with AI support.

Reported benefits where AI is already in use

The research says that where tools are applied, 94% of SMEs report measurable productivity gains. It also says 54% of employees report higher job satisfaction. These are the strongest outcome figures in the source material.

The report does not say that every business will see the same results. It does, however, connect AI use with both operational efficiency and employee experience. That makes the report relevant to owners who are weighing practical adoption rather than abstract interest.

Google's skilling push at the Sydney event

To support the research launch, Google is delivering practical skilling workshops at the Tech Council's AI x SME event in Sydney on Friday, 23 October. The workshops are meant to help business owners overcome technical confidence barriers. They also give local teams hands-on experience with real-world AI tools.

The source says this effort builds on Google's broader skilling initiatives across Australia. One example is Google AI Essentials, a self-paced course designed to give everyday workers foundational AI skills. The report and the event together frame AI adoption as something that can be supported through training, not only through software access.

Operational considerations from the report

The source points to a clear operational theme: AI can help with repetitive and compliance-heavy work. Quoting, roster scheduling, ordering, and payroll compliance are all mentioned directly. For SMEs, that suggests AI may be most useful when it reduces manual effort in routine processes.

The report also implies that confidence is a barrier. Google's workshops are designed to address that issue. That means adoption is not only a technical question. It is also a skills and change-management question for business owners and teams.

Morocco relevance

The source reports no Morocco-specific facts. For readers in Morocco, the global lesson is that AI adoption can be paired with practical training and focused use cases. The report suggests that value may come first from routine business tasks, not from broad transformation alone.

What the source supports

This report is based on a single research release and related event information. It supports three main points: AI adoption among SMEs is still limited, the reported upside is large, and training is being used to help businesses get started. The figures in the report are estimates and reported outcomes from the research, so they should be read in that context.