What managers of SMEs in the CEE region should know about challenges of artificial intelligence’s adoption? – an introductive discussion

• Published in: Nowoczesne systemy zarządzania Vol. 17; no. 1; pp. 63 - 76
• Main Authors: Vidu, Cristian-Mihai, Pînzaru, Florina, Mitan, Andreea
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Military University of Technology in Warsaw 28.03.2022; Wojskowa Akademia Techniczna im. Jarosława Dąbrowskiego; Military University of Technology, Warsaw
• Subjects: artificial intelligence adoption; Business Economy / Management; european smes’ digital transformation; ICT Information and Communications Technologies; risk management; przyjęcie sztucznej inteligencji; zarządzanie ryzykiem; transformacja cyfrowa europejskich MŚP
• ISSN: 1896-9380; 2719-860X
• DOI: 10.37055/nsz/147989

The next step of the digital transformation is to adopt artificial intelligence (AI), even if the technology itself is still evolving. Nevertheless, discussions on AI pros and cons are vivid: managers are in the frontline of the decision-making on the best ways for such transitions. If corporations are already familiar with AI, at least partially for some processes, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) face a double pressure: their inequal degree of digital maturity, as well as the everyday constraints on how to increase competitiveness. CEE SMEs, in particular, find themselves in a complex framework, and the adoption of AI, even if challenging, could be one of the solutions to advance in terms of efficiency. Nevertheless, risks in such an approach must be carefully considered. Based on a semi-structured literature review, this opinion paper discusses the main risks that managers of SMEs in the CEE region should understand regarding AI and the consequent challenges of adopting it in business. Final considerations and future research discussions conclude the paper.