AI Is Already Saving Your SME Time. Why Isn't It Selling More?

TL;DR

Among Spanish SMEs that already use artificial intelligence (AI), 83.8% say it brings them benefits, according to Hiscox's Second Report on SMEs and the Self-Employed in Spain (December 2025). But most of those benefits are about efficiency: only 21.6% see higher sales. AI is saving time, but it isn't growing the business yet. Here's why, and how to see where your company stands.

What the data says (read correctly)

AI use among Spanish SMEs has grown from 7.4% in 2022 to 23.3% in 2025. And among those already using it, the verdict is positive: 83.8% report benefits and only 16.2% say they get no advantage.

The headline that circulated most —"four in ten SMEs see no advantage in AI"— mixes users and non-users. Among companies that haven't tried it yet, almost half (48.8%) believe it brings nothing. In other words: those who use AI tend to see value; those who don't, distrust it.

It saves time, but it doesn't sell more

The interesting part is the type of benefit. Among SMEs using AI, the most cited are task and process optimisation and better overall efficiency, mentioned by six to seven in ten. Cost savings are noticed by 32.6%.

When it comes to business impact, the figure drops sharply: 21.6% see more sales and 7% better talent retention.

The reading is simple: most companies use AI to do faster what they already did (writing, summarising, preparing reports). That saves hours, but it doesn't change how they attract, serve or sell to customers.

Why: a one-off task versus a process

Using ChatGPT to write an email is a one-off task. It saves ten minutes and that's it. For AI to move sales, it has to sit inside a process that touches the customer: replying to a lead in minutes instead of hours, following up with those who didn't buy, answering outside office hours, or preparing a proposal with CRM data.

You don't get there with another tool. You get there by choosing one specific process, measuring what it costs today and redesigning it so AI does its part, with a person reviewing where needed.

Where does your company stand?

The useful question isn't "do we use AI?" but "which processes does it work in, and what result does it give us?". If the answer is "one-off tasks" or "we don't measure it", that's where the next step is.

With the Digital Maturity Calculator you can see in a few minutes, for free, how your company is doing across five areas —data, processes, customer service, lead generation and knowledge— and where the biggest room for improvement is.

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Source: Hiscox, Second Report on SMEs and the Self-Employed in Spain (2025 data, presented in December 2025).

Content developed with AI support and reviewed by the Digital Transformations editorial team