The short version
- 91% of WA business owners surveyed use AI tools, ahead of other states at 74% to 83%.
- 41% of all respondents estimate AI saves at least a quarter of labour time.
- Admin and workflow is where owners expect the biggest profit lift.
Western Australian businesses are the country's keenest AI adopters, according to a survey of 200 owners by comparison platform Small Business Loans Australia.
Ninety-one per cent of WA respondents said they used AI tools, compared with 74 to 83 per cent in other states, IT Brief reported.[1] Across the country, 80 per cent were using AI.[1]
Owners were optimistic about the payoff. Forty-one per cent estimated AI saves at least a quarter of their total labour time.[1]
The biggest expected gains were in the least glamorous work. Seventy-seven per cent predicted a profitability lift from AI in admin and workflow, ahead of writing and communication at 75 per cent.[1]
The survey is small and self-reported, and "labour time saved" is an owner's estimate rather than a measured figure. But it echoes a wider theme: the first win from AI is usually the paperwork.
Sources
Sources checked 7 November 2026. Product features and prices change often, so check the vendor's site before you buy.