(This column originally appeared in Forbes)
Let’s Recap:
- Verizon’s CEO says AI is going to replace a lot of employees
- How small businesses are using AI, according to Google
- Ways AI can help start a business
- AWS has a new retail solution
- OpenAI considers a price cut
Verizon CEO Sends A Shocking — But Not Surprising — Message to Employees
Verizon employees just received a dose of hard truth from their CEO Dan Schulman. In a June 4th interview with Bloomberg, Schulman stated that AI “will replace a large percentage” of customer service workers. According to Schulman, routine customer service activities — such as password resets, billing inquiries, account updates, and plan changes — are especially vulnerable because they follow predictable workflows. His comments are in stark contrast to some of the more tempered statements corporate CEOs have made about AI replacing human employees. Schulman — who was appointed CEO in October of 2025 — said that this shift is already underway at Verizon. Since 2025, 13,000 roles have been slashed to “aggressively reduce our cost base,” per Schulman. (Source: TheStreet)
Why this is important for your small business:
Read my lips. OK, read Schulman’s lips: AI is going to replace jobs. Technology always replaces jobs. Pretending that’s not going to happen is misleading and wrong. But here’s my question: when in human history did humans not find other things to do? There are countless jobs that exist today that weren’t heard of just twenty or thirty years ago. People adapt to new circumstances and find other things to do. AI will be doing the things that people don’t want to be doing anyway.
Here’s How Small Businesses are Actually Using AI, According to Google
Nicole Kobie of ITPro reported on Google’s latest statistics on how many small businesses are actively using AI. According to Google, small and mid-sized businesses in the UK have doubled their AI usage. The technology is primarily being used for writing and communications, research and information gathering, administrative and customer support tasks. Maureen Costello, vice president for UK and Ireland at Google Cloud indicated that “SMBs have long utilized platforms like Google Workspace and they’re transforming with Google AI.” Costello offered examples such as employees building their own AI agents for daily tasks; and AI is improving how companies create and implement new designs in their marketing efforts. With this uptick in usage, Google hasn’t seen a reduction of headcount — companies are leaning into AI as an enhancement tool. (Source: ITPro)
Why this is important for your small business:
I hate these reports because they really don’t the true story. Yes, small businesses are using AI more in their businesses. But the usage is peripheral. It’s wordsmithing emails or augmenting search. That’s fine. But the real impact of AI is when agents will take over tasks that can reduce a business owner’s operating and overhead costs. That is only happening in very few cases that I’ve seen, although I predict more of this coming soon.
Want to Start a Business? AI Can Help, Business Owners Say
CBS News interviewed entrepreneurs who shared how artificial intelligence is fast-tracking the process of establishing a business. “AI can write a business plan, conduct in-depth industry research … You can do anything you can imagine. There’s nothing holding you back,” said the owner of a marketing firm in New York. An owner of a candle company in Boston said AI “helps him understand” how to better promote his products. AI helps newly established businesses with cost control as tasks that once required hiring employees, consultants, designers, or developers can be done with technology. Getting an operation up and running can be achieved in a fraction of the time of labor-intensive processes. While AI has proven to be a valuable entrepreneurship tool, experts recommend consulting professionals for critical business decisions as human expertise is equally important. (Source: CBS News)
Why this is important for your small business:
Another example of AI propaganda. Read the full article and you’ll see what I mean. AI can “help” with augmented research and advice. But AI is not managing employees, making cash decisions, raising money, developing products and services, dealing with board members, networking and all the other things that actual human entrepreneurs need to be doing to successfully launch a new venture. I’m pretty sure that will never happen.
Amazon Web Services Debuts An AI Retail Solution Built on Alexa for Shopping
Amazon Web Services (AWS) has introduced a new retail AI solution — Agentic Shopping Assistant (ASA) — allowing retailers to build their own AI-powered shopping assistants using the same technology behind Alexa. ASA allows retailers to create assistants tailored to their specific needs. “Retail customers can combine this foundation with their own data, business rules, and brand voice to create conversational shopping assistants,” the company stated. This latest announcement shows the growing shift toward agentic commerce and assistants that do much more than just answer questions about a product. (Source: Retail Customer Experience)
Why this is important for your small business:
This sounds cool, but for me the biggest weak spot is Alexa. Despite Amazon’s efforts to re-tool their once-ground-breaking voice-enabled speaker I’m still seeing most people use it for listening to music and getting the weather. Having it shop on my behalf is not something I would consider, given it’s continuing limitations. However, I am a believer in AI-enabled voice technology and maybe Alexa will lead the charge. For businesses that want to focus here I’d tell them to go slowly, however.
OpenAI is Considering Steep Price Cuts to Compete with Anthropic
The AI wars rage on as OpenAI vs. Anthropic is becoming a battle over price. According to Quartz, OpenAI is considering significant price cuts in a move to stay ahead its competition — as reported by the Wall Street Journal. The discussion centers on lowering the cost of AI “tokens” — the units used to measure and bill AI usage for developers and businesses. OpenAI’s Sam Altman has publicly acknowledged that AI costs are an issue for users. “I think we’ll have a lot of ways we can help people get more value for less spend,” Altman said. It’s not just a matter of being price conscious, it’s been reported that OpenAI anticipates Anthropic to reduce their prices as well. Lowering prices could help OpenAI win customers, but it could also squeeze margins for both OpenAI and Anthropic. (Source: Quartz)
Why this is important for your small business:
AI is costly. Tokens are costly. Many big brands are starting to realize that. Now the AI providers are doing something about this. But doesn’t lowering your prices signal weakness? Will Anthropic and other AI providers do the same? If your business is increasing its use of these platforms this would be a welcome change.
Note: Have a technology story that small business owners should know about? Don’t mind me sharing my opinion? Share it with me on X @genemarks.
