(Photo courtesy of Pepsi/Getty Images)
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These are new case studies of how large companies are deploying AI internally. Many of these applications will soon be available to small businesses.
This week in small business technology news
Small Business Technology News #1 – World Economic Forum Study Shows Use of AI in Global Studies.
The World Economic Forum’s MINDS (Meaningful, Intelligent, Novel, Deployable Solutions) program highlights companies that are successfully integrating AI into real systems – not just prototypes – to achieve sustainability, resilience, efficiency and social impact. The article presents learnings from the second MINDS cohort (the first cohort was presented in 2025) and examples of AI applications that are already producing measurable results in areas such as environment, health and well-being, and industry and infrastructure. Several examples are cited, including the State Grid Corporation of China which uses AI to manage Shanghai’s electricity network. Within cohorts, successful AI adopters share these characteristics: responsible scaling, workforce empowerment, and measurable impact. (Source: World Economic Forum)
Why it matters for your small business:
Interesting use cases from companies around the world leveraging AI. Examples include a Chinese company that uses AI-based electrochemical modeling to automate the design of electric vehicle batteries, significantly reducing data operations and prototype cycles. and a US company that implements on-device AI in building controllers to learn and adjust settings, improving comfort while reducing energy consumption and emissions.
Small Business Technology News #2 – How PepsiCo is using AI to improve its operations.
PepsiCo has launched a multi-year partnership with Siemens and Nvidia to reimagine its global manufacturing and supply chain operations using AI and digital twin technology. The company is testing the technology in select U.S. facilities and plans to expand globally. According to the report, PepsiCo creates high-fidelity virtual replicas of factories and warehouses, allowing the company to simulate and test new configurations to identify any operational issues before carrying out moderation at physical locations. The simulations are powered by Siemens’ Digital Twin Composer and Nvidia’s Omniverse platform – tools that create 3D simulations in real time. (Source: AI Magazine)
Why it matters for your small business:
Imagine being able to simulate job sites, construction sites, manufacturing processes or retail flows. This type of AI implementation could have many impacts on small businesses as it is replicated and costs decrease.
Small Business Technology News #3 – 15 More Business Use Cases in 2026, Including Netflix, Amazon and Tesla
Product school – one AI training – presents 15 main concrete ways to apply AI in business – with examples and benefits of companies using them successfully. Some areas examined include personalized customer experience, security monitoring and workforce optimization, among others. For personalized experiences, AI tailors content, product recommendations and services to individual customers based on their data and behavior, driving engagement and sales. Examples include virtual tools from Netflix, Amazon and Sephora. AI is improving safety in the automotive and airline industries – Boeing, for example, uses AI to detect anomalies in aircraft sensors and analyzes flight data to ensure planes are operating at the highest safety levels. Tesla uses AI to monitor road conditions and driver behavior to improve vehicle safety. (Source: Product School)
Why it’s important for your small business:
Many large companies are developing their own internal customer service models, applications that are now starting to extend to smaller organizations through popular apps like Zendesk, Service Now, and Salesforce. If you’re wondering how AI could impact your business, you may first want to look at your customer service operations, where new features can automate request fulfillment or gauge sentiment.
Small Business Technology News #4 – 8 ways Wells Fargo is using AI.
DigitalDefynd has shared detailed observations on how the banking industry is using AI. Focus on Wells Fargoit looked at eight areas where AI has been integrated – not only in customer-facing tools – but also in internal workflows, risk management, compliance and governance. (Source: Education DigitalDefynd)
Why it matters for your small business:
According to the article, Wells Fargo has used AI strategically to increase efficiency, improve customer experience, enhance security, and ensure ethical and compliant use of advanced technologies. It has used AI to improve credit decisions, reduce bias and expand access to credit. Its “Fargo” virtual assistant helped with queries, transactions and account information via chat/voice. The bank implemented AI governance using human oversight and explainability requirements to ensure ethical and transparent deployment of AI.
Small Business Technology News #5 – 19 Examples of AI in Banking.
Diving deeper into AI and banking, Stephen Gossett of Integrated has listed 19 examples of how artificial intelligence is used in various financial institutions. Examples include Eno, Capital One’s virtual assistant, which customers can communicate with via their desktop, app, or text message to ask questions or receive fraud alerts. Discover has partnered with Google Cloud so users can access documentation summaries or request help resolving issues. AI has also improved banks’ security protections and their ability to thwart fraud attempts. California-based DataVisor – an AI-powered fraud and risk management platform – helps banks take preventative action, using algorithms that detect and thwart application/transaction fraud. (Source: Integrated)
Why it matters for your small business:
Financial services companies are now leveraging AI applications to better support their customers and reduce their risks. These tools add efficiencies that their current staff can’t do and help them do their jobs better.
Each week, I round up five small business technology news stories and explain why they matter to your business. If you have any interesting stories, post them on my X account @genemarks