high efficiency and growth

Summary
44% of Brazilian micro and small businesses are already using artificial intelligence to increase productivity and reduce operational costs, with the prospect of greater adoption in 2026, reflecting the democratization of technology and its strategic importance for competitiveness.

The study “Digital Transformation in Small Businesses 2025”, by Sebrae, confirms the expansion of the use of artificial intelligence by micro and small businesses. Data shows that 44% of entrepreneurs say they have already used an AI solution, while specific tools have even higher rates: 80% have already used GPS; 77%, facial recognition; 56%, virtual assistants; and 52%, applications that enhance images. Additionally, 51% used generative text platforms; 44% used image generators; 41% operated chatbots on WhatsApp; 30% have adopted sales chatbots; and 22% have implemented smart environmental control devices.

The results reveal that AI is already part of the technological routine of small businesses, even when it is integrated into simple everyday tools. This scenario has made technology decisive for the survival and expansion of these companies in Brazil. In an environment of economic pressure and accelerated digital transformation, AI is emerging as a strategic tool that increases capacity, efficiency and competitiveness. According to Danilo G. Moreira, CGO at StaryaAI, AI represents the greatest competitive shortcut available to micro and small businesses today.

“Technology automates manual processes, optimizes customer service and provides data analysis that previously depended on teams and complex software,” emphasizes the executive.

For him, AI ceases to be an advanced resource and becomes an integral part of the operational routine of small businesses as an essential element for productivity, organization and decision-making.

Moreira emphasizes that the democratization of technology goes beyond access to tools. For him, it’s about ensuring that any company, regardless of its size or digital maturity, has the same power of analysis, service and operational predictability as large organizations. “AI brings time, efficiency, and a skilled digital presence back to micro and small businesses. Our goal is to take technology out of the hands of the corporate elite and place it in the daily lives of those who actually move the economy. Entrepreneurs don’t need to master algorithms or rapid engineering, they just need to say what they want to solve. Starya is doing the hard work to make AI simple, accessible, and results-driven,” he explains.

Applications that provide the best immediate feedback include intelligent serving, query filtering, lead qualification, billing automation, service scheduling, and feedback analysis. Industries such as healthcare, retail, services, education, and finance show faster adoption because they concentrate a high volume of communications and repetitive requests. For Moreira, the first results usually appear within the first days of use and include a reduction in manual tasks, productivity gains and a more strategic vision of the business.

“If the company ignores digital transformation, the risk is structural. The absence of an AI strategy makes the company slower, more expensive and less competitive, with a direct impact on the customer experience. In the next three to five years, AI will be as common as messaging applications: each company will have its ‘autonomous digital team’, composed of intelligent agents responsible for service, sales, operational organization and demand forecasting”, predicts the CGO of StaryaAI.

For businesses just starting out, it’s recommended to start with the most repetitive and exhausting process. Initial automation generates immediate capacity gains and allows the entrepreneur to analyze the business more strategically. According to Starya AI, this step typically unlocks trust and opens space for new automations as the business scales. “The first step does not have to be big, but it must be decisive. When the entrepreneur delegates the first pain to AI, he discovers the real potential of the technology and understands that modernization is not a luxury, but rather a practical and continuous advantage,” adds Moreira.