
When AI automation was newly introduced, many people assumed that it was reserved for tech giants like Google and Microsoft. Small business owners didn’t understand how it worked or thought it was out of reach, so they ignored its impact on their business.
While large corporations started using AI to automate routine tasks and improve workflow, small businesses were struggling with repetitive tasks, high labour costs, and avoidable errors.
Today, however, AI automation is being adopted by businesses of all sizes, even by those that don’t fully understand the power of these tools. This newfound accessibility is mostly thanks to the rise of no-code/low-code solutions, along with advancements in AI-powered tools/platforms.
We are beginning to see the integration of cyber-physical systems, big data, AI, and IoT across business sectors. This article will help you understand how AI automation is the future of technological revolution and why you should adopt it for your business as soon as possible.
What Kickstarted the AI Revolution?
Artificial Intelligence has been around for decades; however, its discovery and revolution have been recent. We are currently witnessing a major transformation of various industries as businesses infuse technologies like robotics, biotechnology, cloud computing, nanotechnology, the Internet of Things, and artificial intelligence into their daily operations.
They are not just automating simple tasks; they are learning how to make AI more intelligent and adaptable. This AI revolution kicked off with the development of technologies like transformer models and large language models (LLMs), greatly increasing AI’s abilities in understanding and producing human-like language.
The rise of cloud computing in the early 2000s, marked by the launch of Amazon Web Services in 2002, contributed immensely to the revolution. Cloud platforms allowed users to pay for and access only the computing resources they consume, which removed the need for large capital expenditures in expensive infrastructure.
Seminal models like GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer), an example of a transformer model, gained recognition for their ability to generate text, summarise information, and support a wide range of real-world applications.
Transformer Models
Transformer models contributed to the AI revolution by becoming the foundation for modern advancements. Large language models like GPT and BERT became possible and popular because of transformer models.
Large Language Models (LLMs)
LLMs depend on transformers to analyse relationships between words. This helps them to predict the next word or phrase the user is about to input. LLMs can be used for various tasks such as summarising text, answering questions, translating languages, generating text, and understanding and interpreting language.
If you have ever used or heard of Siri or Alexa, then you have used an LLM for virtual assistantship. It can also be used for software development, content creation, customer service, and education.
Cloud Computing
Servers, databases, storage, analytics, intelligence, networking, and software are all part of cloud computing services. Users can access these resources through the internet.
Examples of cloud computing include Google Drive and iCloud for storing photos and documents, Microsoft 365 or Adobe Creative Cloud for operating directly from the cloud, and Netflix for streaming movies and other video content using the cloud.
Seminal Models
As of August 2025, approximately 812 million people use ChatGPT, while 5.3 billion visit the site daily. ChatGPT is a type of seminal model that made AI popular and increased the number of people using it.
Is AI a technological revolution?
Is AI overhyped in 2026?
Due to the way innovations tend to disrupt different parts of the economy, things like cryptocurrencies, ‘green tech’, and AI are described as revolutions. When something is referred to as a revolution, it means that it will create new industries while transforming or eliminating existing ones.
The AI revolution began with computers, software, and microprocessors. We have now advanced to a stage defined by the internet and globalisation, and will later move to robotics and the Internet of Things (IoT) stage. It is predicted to undergo more innovative stages, which will lead to a larger technological revolution.
Note that the technological revolution is not limited to technology; it extends to all-around transformations within society and government. Just as machines replaced human and animal workforce during the industrial revolution, AI is forecasted to replace humans in performing basic and advanced cognitive functions.
Every revolution experienced a period of labour pain that delivered capital investments and unique business models. However, AI is argued to be different. A study by OpenAI researchers suggests that the disruptions we are about to experience will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen.
AI is already reshaping knowledge-based jobs and creative pursuits, and Goldman Sachs estimates that it will replace approximately 300 million full-time jobs globally.
One of the striking examples of the AI revolution can be seen in the healthcare sector. From 2018 to the present time, the healthcare industry has made annual investments worth billions in AI after witnessing its accuracy in diagnosing health conditions.
Today, AI can do the following:
- interpret a brain scan
- Detect a bone fracture
- Assess ambulance needs
- Â Guide healthcare decisions, AI and traditional medicine, AI for healthcare admin, etc.
The finance industry is not exempt from the industries experiencing innovation by AI. The technology market research firm IDC forecasts that AI services and hardware will be worth over $500 billion by 2027.
AI Automation: The Engine for Small Businesses
When you hear AI, robotics, or tech, does your mind go to tech giants or top companies? If so, your focus is misdirected. This is because AI is not just for multinational companies (i.e., the big players), it’s accessible to every business owner, solo freelancer, and also large companies.
AI has transformed marketing and sales by automating tasks like content creation, lead generation, and ad campaigns. From the ideation stage to the execution stage, AI streamlines the process of generating quality content - blog posts, email copy, social media updates, etc.
One out of every ten AI users attests to the fact that AI is an efficient assistant for major tasks.
Successfully guiding customers through different stages of the marketing funnel has become easier for business owners. Areas in marketing that can now easily be automated are data analysis, content creation, personalisation and segmentation, competitive analysis, and predictive analysis.
In sales, AI can target leads, handle repetitive or routine administrative tasks, provide sales intelligence, forecast sales, monitor conversations, and accelerate the sales cycle.
Business owners can even build chatbots or AI agents that will respond to customers’ routine inquiries. This will give them time to focus on other business areas that cannot be handled by AI while simultaneously giving their customers the best shopping experience.
As businesses grow, so does the need to recruit more talent to handle various projects in the company. Business owners can decide to recruit these talents themselves or hire HR personnel to do that. Either way, most recruitment processes use AI to screen CVs via Applicant Tracking Systems. Then, talents whose resumes meet the standard will be invited for the next stage of the recruitment process.
While this process helps business owners improve efficiency, it has a downside. If a strict filter is applied, AI may accidentally screen out highly qualified candidates who don't perfectly match the keywords but may have been identified by human reviewers.
AI also helps small businesses to gather relevant data about customers, analyse the data, and gain insights that will be relevant in growing their business without the heavy cost of a full team of data scientists.
AI Automation Revolution Tech Stocks
AI-powered trading helps stock traders to analyse a vast amount of market data, track historical stock price movements, follow market trends, and make informed data-based decisions instead of just relying on intuition.
Between 2023 and 2025, most finance companies have adopted the use of AI technologies, and this trend is expected to accelerate between 2026 and 2030. Some of these tools include big data analytics, risk management systems, machine learning and deep learning, natural language processing, and visualisation tools.
Machine learning and deep learning use algorithms to spot patterns and trends, mimicking the way the human brain recognises new information. For traders, this means extracting meaningful information from unstructured data on trading that would have been impossible to analyse manually.
With natural language processing, computers can read and interpret human languages from online platforms. This includes content such as news articles, earnings reports, or even social media. This helps stock investors and traders spot ‘market-moving’ events that move markets speedily.
Under
data analysis and modelling, skills like
statistical modelling and data mining are becoming more demanding in the finance sector. They are needed to analyse large amounts of data and forecast future price movements based on massive datasets.
Where data becomes complex, it can be broken down and turned into easy-to-read charts and dashboards using visualisation tools. This makes it easier to see the full picture.
Despite the hype, not everyone is optimistic that AI alone justifies high stock variations. Pessimists like Joe Davis, Vanguard’s global chief economist, argue that the reliance on AI is overrated and does not justify the high stock valuations.
He advises that while companies are sensible enough to invest in AI, the large-scale results they are expecting by 2025 won’t be seen until much later, perhaps between 2028 and 2040.
Businesses are advised to avoid making major decisions based on AI overvaluation. Such ‘AI-bias’ can lead to bad investments in unprofitable projects. A good reminder is the
dot-com bubble of the early 2000s, where billions were poured into overvalued companies with negative net present values (NPVs), and it ultimately collapsed.
This walk down history should stop enthusiasts from getting carried away by the AI overvaluation bias they suffer from and stick to the fundamentals of sound investment and business strategy.
What is the Next Tech Revolution After AI?
Given how far AI has come and its rapid advancement, it’s natural to be curious about what the next technological revolution will be (in 2026 and beyond).
While AI is still in its development stage, let’s first consider some complementary technologies that currently work alongside AI, or could probably surpass it. Some of these include:
- Data mining & predictive analysis
- Database or quantum cloud computing
- Pattern Recognition (PR)
- Deep Learning (DL)
- Machine Learning (ML)
- Computer Vision (CV)
- Natural Language Processing (NLP)
- Synthetic Biology
- Robotics and neuroscience
Amongst the above-listed technologies, two major contenders are quantum cloud computing and synthetic biology.
Quantum cloud computing combines the power of quantum computing and the accessibility of cloud computing to solve complex problems that are too complex for today’s computers. Simply put, instead of buying these computers, you can just rent their power online.
Synthetic biology. The face of innovation in the healthcare industry, food and agriculture, and our environment is being transformed as elements of biology, engineering, and computer science are combined to create biofuels, biosensors, novel pharmaceuticals, bio-based materials, and other useful products.
Furthermore,
While robots are common now, in the near future, they will perform heavy tasks with more autonomy and precision. With the help of AI and machine learning, future robots will be able to interpret difficult environments, learn from experience, adapt to new situations, and make real-time decisions without human intervention.
With natural language capabilities, non-coders can interact with and program them just by speaking or giving simple instructions.
How Does Kash Out AI Fit into All This?
It is now clear that AI remains the most practical and accessible tool for businesses today. With our guidance, small businesses, freelancers, and content creators can harness AI automation to save time, cut costs, and scale smarter.
We also simplify automation and integrate tools that work best for your business so that you can focus on what matters - growth.