AI not a job killer, say most Swiss businesses

SMEs and AI coexist in a stable day-to-day environment Keystone-SDA

Now widely adopted in day-to-day operations by the vast majority of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming an integral part of everyday business activities without, for the time being, raising fears of any major upheaval, particularly in terms of employment.

“Three in four SMEs use AI on a daily basis,” according to an Axa study published on Tuesday. “Following a surge in growth between 2024 and 2025, rising from 55% to 74%, its adoption has stabilised at this level.”

As well as its use, its scope has expanded. Indeed, “AI is increasingly moving beyond the scope of text-based tasks. Its use for process optimisation has risen from 23% to 35%, and for data analysis from 22% to 34%”.

By contrast, customer-related applications (personalised advertising, customer service) are stagnating, as “trust in AI in the context of direct contact with customers remains limited”, explain the authors.

On the issue of jobs, 47% of SMEs expect time savings without any impact on employment levels. Only 12% anticipate job losses due to AI.

No major upheaval is expected in the structure of these small and medium-sized enterprises either, as two-thirds do not anticipate a fundamental change in their working environment, and nearly two-thirds do not see the need to adapt their business model.

Thus, the opportunities seem to outweigh the reservations, “but caution remains: 41% regard AI as an opportunity, compared with only 15% who see it as a threat. Nevertheless, the largest proportion (44%) adopts a neutral, wait-and-see stance”.

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Translated from French, reviewed by an English Department journalist.