Scott Hollrah, Founder and CEO of Venn Technology, hosted a webinar with Aaron Harris, CTO of Sage. The discussion explored the current state of AI, emerging trends, and the impact of hyper-automation and democratization in business.
If you missed it, don't worry—we've got the key takeaways right here!
In this blog, we'll summarize the key points from the discussion and explore the possibilities AI & automation presents to SMBs now and in the future.
The Current State & Trends
Fun fact: During Scott's recent trip to Anguilla, he learned that a surprising 20% of the island's revenue in 2023 came from their ownership of ".ai" domain registrations. Who would've thought a tropical island could lead the charge in AI-driven revenue?
To level-set, Scott launched a poll asking attendees about their approach to AI adoption. The results revealed that most are already using AI in some capacity, 30% are exploring AI but haven't fully implemented it, and a smaller percentage remain unsure or opting out—at least for now.
Hyper-Automation: The Rise of AI Agents
Aaron took the mic to discuss hyper-automation, a concept gaining momentum in the business world.
He highlighted the emergence of Agentic AI—AI agents that not only perform tasks but also make decisions about the necessary steps to complete a process. This shift will significantly impact SMBs, allowing AI systems to manage complex workflows with minimal human intervention.
Aaron shared, “...these AI agents are going to take us from what I call ‘task' automation to ‘complete workflow' automation. And I think SMBs are going to start to see Agentic AI this year.”
Scott echoed the excitement: “I think you know, at this point, we've all probably spent a little time with some kind of AI Chatbot, but it's exciting to see a real effort being offset by humans so that they can focus on things that are much more of a value-add.”
Democratization of AI: Making Advanced Tech Accessible
A key theme of the webinar was the democratization of AI. “This trend is unlike anything we've seen before,” Aaron noted. “AI originated in academia, and collaboration has been key to its advancements. Today, much of the AI used by companies is open source.”
Several factors are making AI more accessible:
- Open-source models eliminate licensing fees.
- Pay-as-you-go pricing reduces infrastructure costs.
- Lower training and deployment costs make AI viable for SMBs.
Aaron also highlighted a surprising benefit: “Studies show that AI improves productivity for everyone, but the biggest gains are seen among employees with light experience or training. AI can bridge the knowledge gap.”
However, he warned that AI could widen existing divides if hyperscalers dominate the market. “If we continue fostering open collaboration, we have an opportunity to truly democratize AI.”
Scott wrapped up this section with a powerful takeaway: “With all the knowledge available on YouTube and AI tools at our fingertips, if you love to learn, there's really no limit to what you can do.”
Threats & Opportunities
While AI presents exciting opportunities, it also introduces challenges. A live poll revealed four main barriers to adoption:
- Lack of expertise and resources
- Data privacy and security concerns
- Uncertainty about ROI
- Workforce concerns over job displacement
Scott acknowledged these worries, noting, “Lots of concern around data privacy and security. That gets back to, Aaron, what you talked about with trust—do we trust these systems?”
Aaron shared insights from the 2025 AI Action Summit in Paris, where global leaders debated how to engage employees in AI adoption. “There simply is no path forward without your employees coming along for the journey.”
Scott compared AI skepticism to early cloud adoption. “When businesses started moving data to the cloud, trust was the number one concern. But with AI, it's not just about storing data—it's about what AI is doing with that data.”
Aaron agreed, citing past data scandals as a source of public distrust. “At Sage, we're explicit—we never use customer data to train third-party models. Anytime we use data for training our own models, it's opt-in and fully transparent.”
Transparency and early involvement help transform skepticism into enthusiasm once AI automates repetitive tasks.
Moving Forward with AI
To overcome adoption barriers, businesses should:
- Communicate openly with employees and address concerns head-on.
- Prioritize ethical AI use and transparent data policies.
- Invest in AI education to build internal expertise.
- Start small with targeted AI initiatives to demonstrate ROI.
Aaron advised, “That first AI capability is going to be tough. But once employees see the benefits, they'll be eager for the next one.”
Use Cases
One of the biggest challenges for businesses is knowing where to start. Scott emphasized, “I've been so overwhelmed by AI that I don't know where to start. That advice—start with the problem, not with the technology—makes a ton of sense.”
Aaron reinforced this point, explaining that AI requires a mindset shift. “There's almost nothing in your business that AI can't automate or address—so pick something and get started.”
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Scott shared how Venn Technology uses AI to gain insights from Zoom meetings with clients and partners. They automate the process of saving Zoom recordings and transcripts to Google Drive, then log them to Salesforce Opportunities. By running transcripts through OpenAI’s API, team members can ask personalized questions, with AI responses sent back via Slack. This custom approach has been impactful, and Scott envisions further automation, like generating requirements documents, in the future.
AI in Action: Real-World Use Cases
A live poll revealed attendees' top AI interests: business process automation and streamlining the month-end close process. Aaron shared compelling research:
“We surveyed 2,500 finance leaders, and about 75% believe that by 2030, they will no longer have a monthly close. Instead, AI and automation will continuously capture, reconcile, and process data in real time.”
One notable insight from our poll? Zero respondents reported using AI for resume matching—likely due to ethical concerns around AI-driven hiring biases. “AI is trained on historical data, which inherently embeds biases,” Aaron cautioned. “That makes some use cases, like hiring automation, particularly risky.”
Recommendations
Where to Focus Your AI Efforts
Aaron outlined four key AI application areas:
- Automation – How can you use AI to automate what today is manual?
- Assurance – How can you use AI to create greater confidence in your data, operations, and protect against fraud?
- Insights – How can AI help you analyze more data efficiently to identify opportunities and risks that traditional dashboards and reports might miss?
- Accessibility – How can generative AI help make technology more accessible to the entire workforce, enabling everyone to actively participate in workflows?
“With generative AI, we can now make technology accessible to everyone in the business,” Aaron noted.
Preparing Your Business for AI
Scott's advice for getting AI-ready: “Talk to the people on the front lines. Ask them what's consuming their time and where AI could give them time back to focus on things that truly matter.”
Aaron agreed: “Start small but move fast. Waiting for AI to fully mature isn't a strategy—iterating and learning as the technology evolves is the best approach.”
What's Next?
The AI revolution is here, and businesses that embrace it now will have a competitive advantage. Whether you're looking to automate processes, enhance data confidence, or make AI more accessible to your team, the key is to start with a problem and take that first step.
Stay tuned for more insights from our webinar series. If you missed this session, check out the full recording on demand.
What's your biggest AI challenge? Let's continue the conversation in the comments!
Takeaway Resources:
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