Pax8 Pulse survey finds a 14-point AI urgency gap

Pax8 released results from its inaugural Pax8 Pulse quarterly survey of U.S. small business technology leaders, finding a gap between how operational leaders and business owners view urgency around Artificial Intelligence (AI). The findings also show a higher adoption pace than the governance capacity leaders report.

In the survey results, 62% of Server Message Block (SMB) leaders reported AI use, while 22% cited security or privacy concerns as their single biggest barrier to AI adoption. The same research linked the urgency mismatch and governance limitations to operational risk from fragmented tool deployments and integration failures.

The survey reported a 14-point difference between operational leaders and owners on AI urgency. It found 70% of functional leaders said AI would be essential to competitiveness within three years versus 56% of owners and founders, while 73% of functional leaders said their business must act on AI within the next six months. It also reported that 69% of operational leaders said AI investments were already delivering measurable results.

The survey also quantified spending and outside support sentiments, including that 48.5% of SMBs increased technology spending over the past year and 84% said they would trust an outside technology advisor to help them implement AI. It found 400 U.S. small business leaders were surveyed by Propeller Insights on behalf of Pax8, with a margin of error of ±4.9 percentage points at 95% confidence, and the March 2026 report covered organizations with 5–499 employees across industries and regions. “Small businesses are at a critical inflection point,” said Nick Heddy, President and Chief Commerce Officer at Pax8. “AI adoption is accelerating rapidly, but many SMBs are implementing tools without the governance frameworks, integration strategies, or internal alignment needed to maximize value and minimize risk. The businesses that will succeed aren't necessarily the fastest adopters - they're the ones building strategy alongside capability.” “The opportunity for MSPs to evolve into Managed Intelligence Providers has never been more clear,” Heddy added. “SMBs aren't just looking for products - they're looking for partners who can help them build AI strategies, curate and orchestrate intelligent systems, and implement with confidence. The MSPs that recognize this shift and position themselves as strategic advisors rather than IT support will be the ones who thrive. Trust is the product, and the channel is uniquely positioned to deliver it.” The survey report also stated that 67% of SMB leaders expect their AI use to increase over the next 12 months.