In late January, the House passed a bill that would direct the SBA to provide education and support to small businesses to help them adopt AI technologies.
Put together by Congressman Troy Downing (MT-02) H.R. 5784, the AI-WISE Act received overwhelming bipartisan support. The bill, sponsored by Congresswoman Hillary Scholten (MI-03), now awaits consideration in the Senate, taking a critical step toward becoming law.
This also follows an earlier AI bill that progressed out of committee into the Senate.
According to Andrew Stern, CEO of Quilt Software, the AI-WISE Act is an important step in leveling the playing field for small businesses.
“In big-box retail, AI is already shaping how products are priced, how inventory moves and how customer relationships are built,” he says. “But most small specialty retailers don’t have the budget or technical bench to build these tools in-house. I think this bill will be a good step in helping close that gap.”
By creating more accessible infrastructure and funding for AI training and integration, it allows Main Street businesses to benefit from the same innovations that larger players are already using — without losing the human touch that sets them apart.
Small Businesses Adopting AI
Stern notes that one of the biggest barriers most small businesses face when trying to adopt these technologies is that most AI tools aren’t built with independent businesses in mind.
“They’re either too generic or too complex to use without a full-time tech team,” he says. “For a local retailer who’s already wearing multiple hats, the idea of ‘adopting AI’ can sound like another daunting project. There’s also a trust gap — a sense that these tools are made for Silicon Valley, not Main Street. We need to meet specialty retailers where they are, which means two important things: First, the AI should be embedded into the tools they already use. Second, it should be aligned to the way they actually work. Until then, adoption will lag not because of a lack of interest, but because of a lack of fit.”
For small businesses looking for help in adopting these technologies, Stern advises to check in with peer networks.
“Business owners trust each other, and when someone in their industry shares a practical win using a new tool, that’s more powerful than any webinar,” he says. “We’ve seen this time and again in Quilt’s customer user groups as well as online industry forums. Many small business owners are older and used to operating independently, so even turning to friends or family who can demystify these tech advances can make a big difference in helping them feel comfortable enough to test it out.”
The goal isn’t to make small business owners AI experts; they’re already experts at their respective craft. It’s to give them results they can see without needing to become technology experts.
The Future of AI Adoption
This new legislation reflects a growing awareness that small businesses are essential to the economy — and that they deserve access to the same tools shaping the future of commerce for big businesses.
Stern predicts that in 2026, we’ll likely see AI adoption accelerate across day-to-day operations such as better inventory control, smarter staffing decisions and more efficient ordering.
“These aren’t headline-grabbing applications, but they make a real difference for a business owner’s bottom line,” he says. “With support from regulations like the AI-WISE Act, I’m hopeful that the real growth will come from giving business owners practical, measurable ways to improve how they work — and the momentum will build from there.”
