In the Age of AI, Business Still Happens in the Room
AI is giving small and family businesses instant access to information. What it can’t give them is the people who make that information matter.
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY THE INSTITUTE FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL EXCELLENCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH
If you ask an AI tool how to write a business plan or price a new service, you’ll have a pretty good answer before your coffee cools. Three-quarters of U.S. small business owners now use generative AI, according to a 2026 U.S. Bank survey, which means skills that once took a consultant or a few extra weekends of work are now a detailed chat prompt away. For Pittsburgh’s small and family-owned businesses, that’s a real advantage.
But information isn’t the same as judgment. AI can explain succession planning, but it can’t tell you whether your son or daughter is ready to run the company. It can draft a turnaround plan, but it can’t share its own experiences putting it in motion. Those moments still happen between people.
Access to information and the speed at which it’s available have changed the nature of work, and that has made it easier for leaders to make every decision alone. Research featured in Harvard Business Review found that half of CEOs experience loneliness in the role, and most say it hurts their performance.
So, what’s the fix? A 2026 American Express survey of small business owners in the UK found that more than four in five respondents feel more confident in their decisions after talking with peers. Asked what it takes to succeed, U.S. small business owners ranked a commitment to lifelong learning first, and small businesses that receive mentoring survive at roughly twice the rate of those that don’t. These studies show that business leaders who keep growing actively seek out and rely on input from other leaders, not just the information at their fingertips.
In Western Pennsylvania, opportunities for business leaders to build a personal network already exist. At the Pitt IEE, our Small Business Development Center offers free one-on-one consulting. IEE Membership connects leaders of established regional businesses for professional development and peer conversation. Our Entrepreneurial Fellows Class pairs a year of cohort-based learning with mentorship. Finding the right fit for your needs, time and bottom line is key to ensuring your growth, but as the studies suggest—and the IEE can attest—there is a positive return on investment.
As 2027 plans take shape, most companies budget for technology upgrades, but fewer budget for their leaders’ own growth. AI can answer almost any question, but knowing which ones to ask and, more importantly, who to ask is still human work.
