Across Asia-Pacific, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly embracing AI as embedded capabilities within everyday business applications lower the barriers to entry and deliver measurable operational benefits. According to the latest Deloitte research, 78 percent of SMEs across APAC are already using at least one AI-enabled tool, highlighting how AI adoption is fast moving into the mainstream.
William Smith, Head of Mass Market Asia at Zoom, told iTNews Asia that this shift is being driven not only by greater accessibility, but also by growing competitive pressure on SMEs that are already operating with lean teams and limited resources.
"SMEs simply cannot afford not to adopt AI. Most are already resource-stretched, and to compete effectively today, automation is becoming non-negotiable,” he added.
According to Smith, one of the biggest shifts has been the integration of AI into everyday business applications. Rather than requiring dedicated investments in standalone platforms, AI capabilities are now embedded into communication, collaboration and customer service tools that SMEs already use.
This shift has made AI significantly more accessible to smaller organisations that previously lacked the budget or technical expertise to implement advanced technologies.
However, accessibility alone is not driving adoption. A major factor is the need to reduce what many businesses describe as "work about work" - the administrative burden of scheduling meetings, producing status updates, preparing reports, and managing follow-ups.
The myth of more tools
While AI adoption is accelerating, Smith warned that many SMEs risk approaching AI the wrong way. One common misconception is that deploying more AI tools automatically delivers better outcomes. In reality, layering multiple standalone applications often creates fragmented workflows and additional complexity.
Another misconception is that AI must be implemented at enterprise scale before it can deliver meaningful value. "The most effective approach is to start small by automating a workflow, reducing manual follow-ups, or improving responsiveness and building from there," Smith said.
Across APAC SMEs, productivity-focused applications continue to dominate AI investment priorities.
Smith said many businesses begin by targeting repetitive administrative tasks such as meeting preparation, summaries, follow-up actions and document creation.
For lean organisations, these use cases often generate measurable returns within weeks rather than months. "The quickest wins usually come from the work teams do every day and where the most time is lost," he said.
But the market is beginning to evolve beyond simple productivity enhancements. "The most practical use cases are where AI closes that gap, turning conversations into completed actions so teams can focus on outcomes rather than managing tools,” Smith said.
Customer engagement is emerging as another major area of investment. SMEs are increasingly deploying AI to answer common enquiries, manage bookings, route requests and provide customer support without significantly expanding headcount.
Why SMEs may move faster than enterprises
Smith believes smaller businesses possess a significant advantage over larger organisations when it comes to AI adoption. Without layers of bureaucracy or lengthy approval cycles, smaller businesses can experiment, adapt and implement new technologies much faster than large enterprises.
The trend is particularly visible among businesses operating across multiple markets, where teams must scale operations while maintaining customer experience and controlling costs.
High-volume sectors such as business process outsourcing (BPO), contact centres, and e-commerce are showing especially strong momentum as AI-powered engagement tools help small teams remain responsive at scale.
AI spending is becoming more selective
Despite ongoing economic uncertainty, Smith said AI investment among SMEs continues to grow. Rather than allocating separate AI budgets, businesses are increasingly evaluating AI as part of broader technology and operational investments.
When investing in AI, the focus has shifted toward practical accountability. Will the new deployment actually be used? Does it solve a genuine pain point right now? What is the immediate impact on the bottom line?
- Head of Mass Market Asia, Zoom
As a result, organisations are increasingly looking for integrated solutions rather than dedicated AI budgets. Cloud contact centre technology has emerged as a key area of investment, enabling SMEs to provide self-service capabilities, AI-powered chatbots, advanced call routing, and extended customer support without significant upfront infrastructure costs.
The bigger risk is standing still
Looking ahead, Smith believes the greatest threat facing SMEs is not adopting AI too quickly, but adopting it without a clear objective.
As AI technologies mature, Smith expects the market to move beyond generating content and insights towards what he describes as a "resolution economy", the one where value is increasingly defined by completed outcomes rather than produced outputs.
When assessing AI investments, Smith recommends leaders should focus on business outcomes rather than tool usage metrics. Time savings, faster responsiveness, reduced administrative burden, and improved customer engagement are among the most meaningful indicators of success. "Ultimately, the most important measure is whether AI is helping the business do more without adding complexity,” he added.
