1,000 Small Business Owners Reveal AI Realities

Anthropic ran free AI workshops across 10 U.S. cities, training over 1,000 small business owners through hands-on Claude Cowork sessions. Participants spanned industries like construction, logistics, and manufacturing, with 80% running companies of 5 to 50 employees. Key findings show non-technical owners are using AI to automate reporting, bidding, compliance, and scheduling with surprising success. However, accuracy concerns remain common, with many owners learning to treat AI like a new employee, building trust gradually rather than relying on it blindly from the start.