Struggles persist for MSMEs regarding AI-related expenses and required skills
In a significant development, organizations The Foundation and Akamai Technologies are joining forces to make Artificial Intelligence (AI) more accessible for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). The collaboration is a response to the challenges faced by MSMEs in adopting AI, particularly those related to cost and digital skills.
According to a June 2025 study, 59% of MSMEs face these challenges. However, MSMEs are finding ways to use AI despite these hurdles, with many utilizing tools like chatbots and Jasper AI for marketing and customer service.
Akamai Technologies is taking steps to make AI more accessible for MSMEs. One of their strategies involves creating an internal AI sandbox environment, where employees are free to experiment with AI tools. This democratic, curiosity-driven approach encourages innovation without the immediate pressure of formal evaluations or heavy upfront costs, enabling teams to explore AI applications relevant to their needs, gradually building digital skills organically within the organization.
The Foundation, on the other hand, is working to make AI more accessible for businesses by promoting cost-effective experimentation, embedding AI into core operations for long-term value, and supporting workforce skill development.
The collaboration between Akamai Technologies and The Foundation could potentially help overcome the struggles MSMEs face in implementing AI. By addressing the cost and digital skills challenges, more businesses may be able to adopt AI, improving their marketing and customer service capabilities.
This collaboration is a sign of growing efforts to make AI more accessible for businesses. Other companies in the broader ecosystem, like STL Digital, are also emphasizing the importance of integrating AI with cloud infrastructure, data engineering, and security by design, which helps scale AI adoption responsibly and sustainably, a crucial factor for MSMEs that require affordable, secure, and scalable AI solutions.
In summary, the collaboration between Akamai Technologies and The Foundation is a significant step towards making AI more accessible for MSMEs. By addressing the cost and digital skills challenges, and promoting cost-effective experimentation, embedding AI into core operations, and supporting workforce skill development, these organizations are helping to lower the barriers for MSMEs to adopt AI, ultimately improving their competitiveness in the digital age.
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Small-business owners may find the collaboration between Akamai Technologies and The Foundation beneficial, as the organizations work to make AI more accessible by addressing cost and digital skills challenges. With the internal AI sandbox environment provided by Akamai Technologies, small-business employees can experiment with AI tools, fostering innovation and gradually building digital skills organically. Meanwhile, The Foundation promotes cost-effective experimentation, embeds AI into core operations for long-term value, and supports workforce skill development to further aid small businesses in adopting AI technologies. [Source 1, Source 2]
