A few days ago, we told you about the government’s new 600-million-euro bonus designed to boost the adoption of artificial intelligence in small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and self-employed professionals. But TeamSystem warns that it arrives at a moment when three in ten Spanish companies consider that using this technology in a practical and secure way will be one of their main challenges in 2027.
Specifically, 32% say AI use is one of their major challenges for the coming year, only behind regulatory compliance (41%) and ahead of issues such as cybersecurity (25%) or investment in technology (23%), according to the second edition of the TeamSystem Observatory: Diagnosis and snapshot of SMBs, self-employed professionals, and advisory firms, prepared by Ipsos for TeamSystem based on 1,200 interviews.
Among the areas where companies expect AI to deliver the most value over the next 12 months are automating administrative tasks (33%), generating and analyzing reports (33%), and data analysis to improve decision-making (29%). They also point to content creation and communications materials (26%), regulatory compliance (22%), and customer service (20%).
Reliability matters more than cost
TeamSystem believes that the new bonus included in the AI360 Plan can help accelerate the effective adoption of artificial intelligence in SMBs and self-employed professionals, especially if it helps overcome barriers that still hinder daily use.
The Observatory shows that the main brake isn’t economic. Twenty-seven percent of companies cite AI errors or unreliable responses as the main hurdle, 25% point to lack of knowledge or training, and 20% to legal doubts. Lack of understanding and distrust in the results weigh more than the investment required to adopt this technology.
In response to these doubts, companies already using AI highlight above all the time they free up from repetitive tasks to dedicate to higher-value activities. Twenty-eight percent estimate saving four to seven hours per week thanks to these tools, and another 20%, between one and three hours.
Its success will depend on bureaucratic red tape not slowing access
The next challenge for SMBs, therefore, is to translate AI into concrete use cases and integrate it into their daily processes to automate tasks, analyze information better, and facilitate decision-making.
Its application can also become especially relevant in a scenario where companies face new demands for digitization and regulatory compliance, from VeriFactu with adaptation deadlines starting in 2027, to the forthcoming reform of the digital time-tracking register, still awaiting approval.
For Emilio Martínez de la Fuente, CEO of TeamSystem Spain, “the bonus can be an important opportunity to bring artificial intelligence closer to SMBs and self-employed professionals, but its success will depend on bureaucratic hurdles not slowing access and on it being accompanied by training tailored to their real needs. It’s not simply about adopting an AI tool, but about knowing where to apply it to have a real impact on the business.”
The announced design for the new bonus envisions that the aid be allocated to AI deployment and integration projects rather than mere licensing, in addition to including pre-diagnostic assessments and the achievement of milestones during its execution.
