Small biz looks to AI, and other tech stories you may have missed

July 16, 2025 10:49 AM

Small businesses are looking to artificial intelligence for a competitive edge; the agentic future of customer service and support; CEOs have mixed results with AI and cybersecurity; upgrades to Microsoft Teams; and other developments in technology this past month and how they'll impact your clients and your firm.

1. Small businesses look to AI for competitive edge

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A new survey conducted by Reimagine Main Street in partnership with PayPal reveals that 82% of small businesses believe adopting AI is essential to staying competitive. One thousand small businesses with revenue between $25,000–$5,000,000 participated in the study. Over 50% are exploring AI, while 25% have already integrated it into daily operations. With automation, 77% see AI as a game-changer for marketing and customer engagement. Additionally, 53% say AI-powered cash flow forecasting would solve a major pain point by enhancing financial intelligence. Forty-five percent are eager to use AI for staffing, inventory, and marketing decisions. (Source: PR Newswire)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: I agree that AI is a game-changer and that it will have a big impact on small businesses. But I don't believe it's having that impact yet. Sure, some businesses are dabbling with generative AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini and CoPilot, but these tools are still hallucinating (i.e., making errors) too much to be relied upon for any serious decision-making.

2. AI means Amazon can cut white-collar workers, CEO says

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy sent a company-wide email outlining how generative AI is reshaping Amazon's future and its workforce. He emphasized that while AI will boost efficiency and reinvent customer experiences, it will also lead to fewer white-collar jobs over time. Jassy noted that Amazon is already using AI across nearly every part of its operations — from Alexa+ and shopping tools to fulfillment logistics and advertising. The company has over 1,000 generative AI tools in development, and Jassy believes this is just the beginning. He encouraged employees to embrace the shift by learning about AI, attending workshops, and experimenting with the technology. Those who adapt will be "well-positioned to have high impact and help us reinvent the company," Jassy said. (Source: Quartz)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: Everybody needs to take a breath. Knowing how unreliable, inaccurate, and error-prone today's AI tools are, I don't see this technology replacing people right away. But … it's going to happen, and likely more so in the next two to five years. If you're an employee of a big company take to heart Jassy's advice: Become expert with these tools so that you can become valuable, productive and profitable to your employer. If you're a small-business owner the same applies.

3. LinkedIn CEO says AI writing assistant not as popular as expected

LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky revealed that the platform's AI writing assistant — designed to help users polish their posts — hasn't gained the traction he anticipated. He attributes this to the high stakes of posting on LinkedIn, which he calls "your resume online." Users worry that AI-generated content could damage their professional credibility, especially if they're publicly called out. Despite this, AI adoption on LinkedIn is booming in other areas: Job listings requiring AI skills have increased sixfold, and users adding AI skills to their profiles have surged twentyfold. Roslansky even shared that he personally uses Microsoft Copilot to refine emails to his boss, Satya Nadella: "Every time, before I send him an email, I hit the Copilot button to make sure that I sound Satya-smart." (Source: TechCrunch)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: Here's a tip: When posting your thoughts on LinkedIn, don't use their AI tools. Why? Because it's your thoughts, not a bot. LinkedIn is excellent because people can be their (professional) selves on the platforms, sharing advice and insights. I believe that AI takes something away from that and — thank goodness — we humans can detect it. Go ahead and use the tools to make resumes or job listings better. But your thoughts are your thoughts and should always be 100% you.

4. Agentic AI to handle 68% of customer service/support by 2028

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Cisco's latest research predicts that agentic AI will handle 68% of customer service and support interactions by 2028. The study — which surveyed nearly 8,000 global business and technical decision-makers — highlights the growing confidence in AI-driven customer experiences as 93% of respondents believe agentic AI will enable more personalized, proactive, and predictive services. Within the next 12 months, 56% of interactions are expected to be AI-driven. Additionally, 92% of organizations say customer support is more critical than ever due to increasing IT complexity. Cisco executives believe agentic AI will eliminate common network issues, improve security, and enhance productivity. (Source: Cisco)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: This seems right to me. For the next two to three years, we'll be seeing every tech company rolling out agents and agentic features to perform mundane and repetitive tasks currently taking up the time of our employees. Initially, these features aren't going to work very well. A few intrepid souls will dive in, but hopefully they won't be using these tools for any core undertakings. But by 2028? That's almost three years away — a lifetime in the AI world. And given the advancements we've seen in just the past couple of years, I have confidence that these agents will be working better and more reliably than our own employees.

5. A cautionary tale about cyber threats and employee handbooks

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International law firm Clark Hill is warning employers about a new cyber threat involving fake employee handbooks. Hackers are distributing what appear to be legitimate handbooks via spoofed company emails. These emails prompt employees to scan a QR code to "acknowledge receipt," but the code leads to a malicious website that mimics corporate login portals like Microsoft 365. Once employees enter their credentials, attackers gain access to internal systems or install malware. (Source: JD Supra)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: Wow. Say what you want about hackers but that's pretty ingenious. As the article points out, it's important to train employees on email security using this scam as a case study; clarify how handbooks are distributed and acknowledged; strengthen IT defenses with multifactor authentication and anti-malware tools; and ensure HR portals and third-party vendors follow strong security protocols. It's a sharp reminder that even routine HR documents can be weaponized in sophisticated phishing attacks.

6. Apple AI announcements disappoint

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Apple's annual World Wide Developer Conference last month disappointed many. According to one report, its recent WWDC event has been a "disappointment on the AI front" and the "company failed to meet even the basic expectations. Wall Street has also delivered a dip in the stock price after the event. There had been a lot of hype around Apple Intelligence a year ago. Many bullish analysts projected that this would start another big upgrade cycle for the iPhone and could open up new monetization options for the company. The hype has not met reality, and we have not seen any major upgrade trajectory in the iPhone in the last few quarters." (Source: Seeking Alpha)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: Two takes: First, the company is reinforcing its main product lines. In its official update, the company said it is rolling out major updates to its services this fall, enhancing user experiences across its operating systems. It is also upgrading Apple Maps to give users preferred routes and visited places for smarter navigation. Apple Wallet will feature Apple Intelligence-powered order tracking, Digital ID integration, and enhanced Apple Pay features.

Second — patience. Unlike some of its other big tech competitors, Apple is more hesitant releasing products based on technologies that still aren't working as they've been hyped. By this I mean AI. This is a company built on innovation, quality and reliability. So the company is going slower down this road and only releasing new features when they are reliable enough to use. Does this mean that they're behind in the AI "race?" Considering how long this race still has to go, I don't think so at all.

7. Teams update enhances productivity, customization

Microsoft Teams is rolling out new features that allow users to open core collaboration components such as chat, meetings, and files in separate windows with Teams. This provides a more modular workflow across multiple displays or tasks, and allows users to tailor their workspace. The enhancement is in response to users' request for greater control over application management. Rolling out soon to commercial users, a preview is available by joining the Teams Public Preview or Targeted Release. "This improvement enables users to manage their core collaboration applications more efficiently, ultimately leading to a more streamlined and effective work environment," Microsoft stated. (Source: Cyber Security News)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: As Teams grows in popularity, more users within organizations need better control over their access, collaboration and data sharing. They also want a more individualized experience. These updates are a big step in that direction. If your company is using Teams, my advice is to make sure it's the latest build and to also pay for a little training from a Microsoft consultant so that your users are fully taking advantage of this application.

8. HubSpot launches CRM connector with ChatGPT

Viral ChatGPT Spurs Concerns About Propaganda and Hacking Risks

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HubSpot has launched the first CRM deep research connector with ChatGPT, allowing businesses to apply AI-powered analysis to their customer data. This integration enables marketing, sales, and service teams to gain actionable insights without requiring extensive data expertise. Key features include AI-driven customer segmentation — businesses can analyze customer cohorts and create targeted engagement strategies. Sales optimization allows teams to identify high-value opportunities based on revenue, industry, and technology stack. Customer success insights utilizes AI to help detect inactive accounts with growth potential and suggests re-engagement strategies. HubSpot emphasizes that this tool democratizes advanced analytics for SMBs, making AI-powered insights more accessible. (Source: Business Wire)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: This is really a game-changer for CRM applications. And there will be more of this. But think of it: Rather than building your own internal model, you simply connect a chatbot like ChatGPT to your CRM system and then train it on your data. This way your sales and service teams can not only ask questions about customers, prospects and other CRM activities but ultimately launch agents to perform tasks automatically based on these queries. My expectation is that most mainstream CRM vendors will partner with the major chatbot providers to offer similar functionality in the near future.

9. Instagram CEO almost fell for new Google scam

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Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri revealed that he almost fell for a sophisticated phishing scam posing as Google. The scam involved a phone call followed by an email claiming his Google account was compromised. The email appeared legitimate, coming from a Google domain and linking to a Google Sites page that asked him to sign in. The scam was convincing because it redirected users through a real Google login page before leading them to a fake support site mimicking Google's official page. Cybersecurity experts warn that this type of scam exploits trust in recognizable domains like Google.com, making it harder to detect. Google has since suspended the fraudulent form and site and reminded users that it never calls people about account security issues. (Source: Daily Voice)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: This is not just some guy who almost got duped. It's the CEO of Instagram, who I'm assuming is well-versed in the technology space. The warning is that if a senior technology executive — a person who lives in this space — can almost be fooled by an online scam, what does that mean for the rest of us? It means stepping up our IT security budgets, investing in training sessions and software and making sure our internal security software is updated and monitored.

10. Shopify's new AI tools empower merchants

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Shopify introduced new AI-powered tools designed to help merchants launch, operate, and scale their online stores more efficiently. (Source: Practical Ecommerce)

Why this is important for your firm and clients: According to the company key features include the AI-Powered Store Builder, which lets merchants enter a few descriptive keywords, and Shopify will generate three layout options with images and text, significantly reducing setup time; a new modular theme foundation that allows merchants to use drag-and-drop "theme blocks;" and the Sidekick AI Assistant, which is now capable of multistep analysis, helping merchants diagnose sales trends, re-engage customers, and navigate admin tasks via voice chat and screen sharing.