A new report by the International Trade Centre (ITC), Living with the Genie: Artificial Intelligence in Content Creation for Small Firms in Trade, finds that AI tools enable everyone in the workplace to publish content to promote business growth, including small firms in developing countries with limited time and resources. Business support organisations and educational institutions can also embrace AI tools to support small business growth. But there is a right way to do it.

“Like all powerful tools, generative AI (GenAI) can be used in purposeful and constructive ways, but also in support of harmful and destructive intent, breeding lies and disinformation,” said Vinton G. Cerf, Vice President of Google who is often called the ‘father of the internet’.

Developing countries concerned about AI for business

The report presents findings from one of the rare global surveys on AI tools aimed at aiding small businesses in developing nations. Conducted in December 2023, the survey collated insights from 73 business support organisations across 39 countries, including 35 developing nations, regarding the application of AI in the workplace. Over half of the participants (52%) utilise ChatGPT and similar AI technologies, seeking advice on adapting to the current landscape of content creation and publishing to facilitate the growth of small enterprises. The respondents advocated for caution, enhanced training, and verification processes to guarantee the accuracy and ethical deployment of AI-generated content.

The document draws attention to the dangers posed by deepfakes, a form of AI capable of producing realistic image, audio, and video fabrications that compromise the credibility of businesses and can even detract from national brands. The use of online news avatars and personality-driven chatbots can be beneficial or detrimental, contingent on their application. The emergence of new text, image, audio, and video tools introduces issues of bias, inaccuracies, and intellectual property concerns alongside their efficiency benefits. These developments impact content creation and promotion by eroding trust in information.

Four AI takeaways for small businesses in developing countries

• Establish trust in your brand by focusing on customer solutions with authentic content. For instance, employ AI for idea generation and research on key stakeholders and customer requirements, but validate these with target audiences. Aim for content that is factual, ethical, and pertinent. It's crucial to scrutinise datasets for bias, accuracy, and potential delays. Human oversight is essential for reviewing AI-generated text, images, videos, and audio, and it's important to disclose when AI has been used. Businesses should humanise their brand, for example, by making CEOs directly accessible for interviews and online briefings, avoiding reliance on avatars.
• Foster inclusivity in formulating AI strategies by integrating teams of communicators, experts, engineers, project managers, innovators, trainers, and other AI tool users within the workplace. Standardise editorial tools and provide training for common editorial requirements.
• Recognise how AI prompts can benefit or disadvantage your business. Collaborate with national and regional business support organisations to refine the use of AI in researching business decisions.
• Seek AI-related business opportunities in developing countries by embracing local contexts and perspectives. For example, an AI feature in a ride-sharing application could offer users the option to select a driver of the same gender.

This report is published in partnership with Trade Finance Global, which has contributed to its findings and is disseminating it across its worldwide network of companies, financial institutions, and policymakers.