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Top AI Headlines

AI is moving from boardroom buzz to Main Street reality — small businesses are finding real, practical wins, even as the broader productivity payoff remains uneven.

1

OpenAI Took 1,000 Small Business Owners Through Hands-On AI Workshops

OpenAI Academy partnered with DoorDash and SCORE to host a nationwide 'Small Business AI Jam' across five cities — San Francisco, NYC, Houston, Detroit, and Miami — where over 1,000 small business owners worked directly with OpenAI mentors to build real AI solutions for their businesses. The program was designed specifically for owners without technical backgrounds. If you missed it, a full after-action report with use cases and key takeaways is available for free on OpenAI's site.

2

Gusto Launches an AI 'Cofounder' That Runs HR Tasks for Small Businesses

HR platform Gusto released 'Cofounder,' an AI teammate built specifically for small business owners that can run payroll, track compliance deadlines, manage workflows, and flag items needing approval — all through plain-language conversation. This is the direction most business software is heading: less clicking through menus, more just asking for what you need. If you're already on Gusto, this is worth turning on immediately.

3

Zoom Launches a Full AI Productivity Suite — Docs, Slides, Sheets, and More

Zoom rolled out a new AI productivity suite that includes Zoom Canvas, Zoom Slides, Zoom Sheets, and Zoom Paper — essentially positioning itself as an AI-powered alternative to Google Workspace or Microsoft 365. For small businesses already paying for Zoom, this could consolidate your tool stack and reduce software costs. It's worth testing before renewing any overlapping subscriptions.

4

Nearly 60% of New Business Owners Used AI From Day One in 2025

New Gusto research shows that almost 60% of business owners who launched in 2025 used AI during their setup process, making starting a business faster and cheaper than ever before. Adoption is highest among younger founders, but the real story is that AI isn't replacing hiring — most businesses are combining AI with human contractors to grow capacity. This is the playbook: use AI for repeatable tasks, hire humans for relationship and judgment work.

5

Big Companies Are Spending Big on AI — But the Productivity Gains Haven't Shown Up Yet

Business Insider's reporting highlights what's being called AI's 'productivity paradox': enterprises are pouring money into AI tools and engineers are shipping code faster than ever, but company-wide productivity and financial results haven't followed. The takeaway for SMB owners isn't to slow down — it's to be strategic. Individual workers are seeing real time savings, but companies that aren't deploying AI thoughtfully aren't seeing it show up on the bottom line yet.

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