How AI Is Helping Entrepreneurs Grow and Compete
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 21, 2026
PRESS CONTACT
Phuong Nguyen
AAPI-owned businesses support more than 5.2 million jobs nationwide and contribute to a community with $1.6 trillion in buying power. As technology continues to evolve, artificial intelligence (AI) is creating new opportunities to help businesses grow, compete, and innovate.
Yet many entrepreneurs continue to face persistent barriers—from limited access to capital and language challenges to the rising costs of starting and scaling a business. AI is helping to lower many of those barriers.
A New Engine for Small Business Growth
Across the country, small businesses are rapidly adopting AI tools to stay competitive. Today, nearly all small businesses use at least one AI-enabled tool, with adoption of generative AI accelerating quickly.
For entrepreneurs, many of whom run lean operations, AI is acting as a force multiplier. It allows business owners to automate time-consuming tasks, improve customer engagement, and make more informed decisions without needing large teams or significant upfront investment.
Entrepreneurs using AI report saving 5 to 7 hours per week on administrative work. That time savings translates directly into more capacity to grow, hire, and innovate.
Lowering Barriers, Expanding Access
AI is also helping address structural challenges that have long affected AAPI-owned businesses:
Language accessibility: AI-powered translation and customer support tools help bridge communication gaps for many entrepreneurs with limited English proficiency.
Access to expertise: AI provides real-time insights on finances, marketing, and operations – capabilities once available primarily to larger firms.
Cost and efficiency pressures: Automation helps reduce overhead, improve productivity, and keep businesses competitive without significantly raising costs.
At a time when small businesses are navigating inflation and economic uncertainty, these tools are becoming increasingly essential.
Unlocking the Next Phase of Growth
AI is enabling entrepreneurs to do more than streamline operations – it is helping them scale.
From reaching new customers through digital platforms to optimizing supply chains and forecasting demand, AI is opening doors to markets and opportunities that were previously out of reach. It is also helping entrepreneurs test ideas faster, make better-informed decisions, and operate with greater confidence.
This is why AI is a central focus of National ACE's policy agenda: it sits at the intersection of innovation, competitiveness, and inclusive economic growth.
Policy Will Determine the Pace of Progress
The promise of AI for small businesses is clear, but realizing that promise is not guaranteed.
A fragmented or overly burdensome regulatory approach risks slowing adoption, increasing costs, and creating new barriers – especially for small businesses that lack the resources to navigate complex compliance requirements.
Instead, policymakers should focus on enabling responsible innovation by:
Advancing AI literacy and workforce training so entrepreneurs can adopt tools effectively.
Supporting accessible, culturally relevant resources that meet small businesses where they are.
Promoting clear, consistent national frameworks rather than a patchwork of state-by-state rules.
Ensuring trust and security without stifling innovation.
A Moment to Lead
AI represents one of the most significant opportunities in decades to expand access to economic growth.
For small businesses across the country, the question is not whether AI will shape the future of entrepreneurship. It is whether policy will allow them to fully participate in it.
Getting this right means embracing a light-touch, innovation-forward approach that empowers small businesses to adopt AI, compete globally, and continue to drive America's economic growth.
Because when small businesses succeed, communities succeed. And when entrepreneurs have access to the tools they need to innovate and grow, the entire economy is stronger. Continue the conversation with us at the 2026 National ACE Annual Conference, where business leaders, innovators, and policymakers will explore how AI is reshaping entrepreneurship and the future of small business.
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About National ACE: National ACE’s mission is to serve as a strong advocate of AAPI and all small business interests and positive change on issues that enhance and advance the goals and aspirations of business owners, entrepreneurs, and corporate leaders. National ACE supports policies and programs that strengthen small businesses, expand economic opportunity, and foster the next generation of entrepreneurs and executives. Learn more at www.nationalace.org.