BUSINESS MATTERS
That distinction is important.
AI-generated information can be inaccurate. Business owners should review important facts, calculations, contracts, financial information, and other critical materials before relying on them. Federal Reserve research found that some small businesses remain concerned about AI accuracy, intellectual-property issues, implementation costs, staff training, and the importance of preserving human interaction.
The New Concern AI and Cybersecurity
As businesses become more comfortable with AI, another issue is moving quickly to the forefront: security.
A September 2026 survey reported that six in ten business owners said employees use public AI tools for work, while only about one-third had written AI policies or responsible-use training. Nearly one-third reported that their companies had been targeted by a generative-AI scam or fraud attempt during the previous year.
This month has also brought new attention to AI-assisted fraud. Microsoft Security researchers recently described a campaign involving executive impersonation and fraudulent invoices, illustrating how AI can make familiar social-engineering schemes more convincing.
The better question is: How can I use AI productively without unnecessarily exposing my business, customers, employees, or financial information?
Protect the Business You Worked
So Hard to Build
Small-business owners should establish clear rules about what employees may place into public AI systems. Customer records, passwords, confidential contracts, proprietary business information, financial records, Social Security numbers, medical information, and other sensitive data should not simply be copied into an AI platform without understanding how that information will be handled.
Cybersecurity basics matter as well. Businesses should use strong unique passwords, multifactor authentication, regular software updates, secure backups, employee phishing training, and a written plan explaining what employees should do when suspicious activity occurs.
The National Cybersecurity Alliance's 2026 survey of 1,000 small and midsize business leaders found a gap between businesses' confidence in their cybersecurity and their actual preparedness. The organization also reported that AI adoption is moving faster than AI governance at many businesses.
AI Should Be an Assistant Not the Entire Business
Perhaps one of the biggest lessons of the AI revolution is surprisingly simple: