Property service businesses are leading Australia’s small and medium enterprise sector in AI adoption, with almost 70 per cent already using the technology – the highest rate of any industry surveyed.
New research from National Australia Bank found property services well ahead of finance and insurance (64 per cent) and business services (61 per cent) in rolling out artificial intelligence.
At the other end of the scale, just 21 per cent of transport businesses have adopted AI, with 58 per cent saying they have no plans to do so.
The findings come as separate research from MYOB reveals a stark performance gap with businesses using AI, growing 2.8 times faster than those that haven’t adopted it.
Andrew Auerbach, NAB’s group executive for business and private banking, said data-heavy sectors were early adopters.
“I’ve got no doubt that we’re going to see a meaningful uptick in how SMEs invest and use AI,” he told the SMH.
The hospitality sector showed the strongest intent to adopt, with nearly two in five businesses planning to introduce AI – the largest share of any sector looking ahead.
Across all SMEs, 42 per cent are currently using AI, 44 per cent are not, and 14 per cent plan to start.
MYOB’s research found 54 per cent of businesses using AI reported time savings, while 34 per cent said it had increased productivity.
Yet 46 per cent of SMEs still have no plans to adopt the technology in the coming year.
The employer side is shifting too.
Data from job site Indeed shows 8.5 per cent of Australian employers now mention AI in job postings, up from 5.8 per cent in early 2025.
Sales roles are among those increasingly seeking AI skills, with 13.2 per cent of ads in that category now referencing the technology.