Digital Export and Artificial Intelligence: new frontiers for the international development of SMEs

How can AI, combined with digital export, support the international development of SMEs? Challenges and opportunities for digital transformation in the B2B market.

Voice assistants, self-guided cars, personalized shopping tips, chatbots capable of answering any questions, computers capable of producing works of art... Welcome to the Age of Artificial Intelligence.

In recent years, technological progress has made huge strides and Artificial Intelligence is perhaps the highest conquest of this digital transformation.Generation AID I'm the one who's the one who's the one who's the one who's the one who's the one who's the one who's the one who's the one who's the one who's the one who's the one who's the one who's the one who's the one who's the one who's the one who's the one who's the one trend topic of the moment, especially after the launch of Chat, the Open AI chatbot that has also allowed non-workers to experience all the potential of new tools based on neural networks.

Among scepticism and enthusiasm, one thing is now certain: AI seems to be destined to make more and more part of our lives and to revolutionize our way of working both in personal and professional. In the wake of growing popularity, many companies are already able to grasp the potential of these new tools in the field of business development and internationalisation. But is it really gold all that glitters?

In this article we will try to offer an overview of the new technologies available to companies and export managers, analyzing the potential and possible applications of the new AI tools in the business and the limits placed by these models.

SUMMARY

Artificial Intelligence: What is it and how does it work?

Before moving into the world of AI applied to Digital Export, it is important to better understand what is meant by Artificial Intelligence.

Artificial Intelligence, in English Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a branch of computer science that deals with the construction of intelligent machines capable of reproducing the functioning of the human brain, making logical decisions thanks to advanced learning techniques. Unlike traditional software, in fact, AI systems are not based on the manual programming of the code but on algorithms capable of learning and developing their own reasoning ability autonomously from the processing of a large amount of data.

In particular, the new tools we hear continually about as Chat, Google Bard, From the E 2 and Midjourney The AI is based on a specific form of AI, the latest frontier of technological development: the Generative Artificial Intelligence. Through the use of algorithms for machine learning, this model allows to generate new inputs and create original content in the form of texts, images, audio and video.

We briefly introduce the principles behind Artificial Intelligence, analyze together how these technologies can support businesses in developing international markets.

Towards Intelligent Export: The tools for Digital Export Managers of the Future

During the pandemic, many SMEs have embarked on a digital transformation path. The limitation of trade has made the fundamental contribution of new technological tools for the planning and monitoring of marketing strategies of companies more evident.

The new Report Export 2023 by SACE It offers an extremely positive picture of the recovery of Italian exports, with an increase in exports for the current year of 6.8%, totalling around 660 billion euros. In this perspective of growth, destined to remain stable even in the coming years, the implementation of new AI technologies in business processes seems to play a fundamental role.

“The future is now, together,” says the title of the report. As experts say, digital transformation, combined with the energy revolution, is now one of the fundamental challenges that Italian SMEs are called to face to speed up their competitiveness on the international scene.

But how can AI offer concrete support to companies that are willing to develop on foreign markets?

Through the use of automatic learning algorithms AI can quickly analyze huge amounts of data, offering valuable information that allow stakeholders to take targeted strategic decisions. This aspect, if applied to market analysis or trends monitoring, can have a strong impact on the export value chain of companies, becoming an important competitive advantage in all stages of the internationalisation process.

The potential of AI applied to business is almost endless and destined to evolve further, in the next paragraph we will try to analyze only some of the possible applications of Artificial Intelligence in the field of Lead Generation and Marketing B2B.

AI for Lead Generation

The consultancy Gartner argues that by 2025 at least 75% of global B2B companies will adopt AI In its sales strategies, despite its newness on the market, many Italian companies are not yet able to grasp the enormous potential of Artificial Intelligence applied to sales. 6 Italian companies in 10 (61%) have started at least one AI project, while one out of three SMEs is planning to start new initiatives within two years.

Let’s see together how AI can support SME lead generation operations:

Lead Identification through Predictive Models

The lead scoring It is a process that uses Artificial Intelligence to assess the likelihood that a prospect converts to a customer. Through the use of predictive models and historical data analysis, it helps to determine leads with greater probability of conversion, allowing companies to identify prospects on which to concentrate their resources.

Data collection on competitors and opportunities analysis

The AI can be used to collect and analyze huge amounts of competitor data, such as prices, services and promotions. This process allows companies not only to stay up-to-date on market trends but also to identify opportunities in a rapid time to differentiate themselves from competition and strengthen their leadership in the industry.

Monitoring trends and forecasting of sales

Finally, AI predictive models can also be used for the analysis of historical sales data in order to predict future trends and plan strategies ad hoc based on the latest market trends, enabling companies to efficiently allocate resources and make the most of growth opportunities.

AI for Marketing B2B

Artificial Intelligence also offers great opportunities in the field of Digital MarketingThrough the use of advanced algorithms for data analysis, companies can monitor market trends and better understand consumer behaviour, anticipating their needs and improving the overall customer experience.

Let’s see together how AI can support SME marketing operations in concrete terms:

Analysis of user behaviours online

AI algorithms can process a huge amount of data quickly. Through social media analysis and online reviews, companies can predict market trends and adapt quickly to customer requirements.

Customization of offers based on demographic data

The AI enables companies to analyze demographic data of customers, identifying their interests, preferences and purchasing methods.

Create chatbots for customer support

Another obvious advantage of AI is to be available 24h on 24h, 7 days a week. Thanks to new techniques of natural language processing, companies can implement chatbots and virtual assistants able to offer support and information to customers in real time.

Limits and ethical implications of AI use in export

In this period of rapid technological progress, where we are bombarded with news and submerged daily by the trends of the moment, it is difficult to apply a critical eye on what surrounds us. Despite the great enthusiasm linked to the latest developments of Artificial Intelligence, it is important to remember also those that are the challenges and implications of its potential adoption in the business field.

The new models make it difficult to assess the long-term effects of their use on a large scale. A first aspect to be taken into account is the need for SMEs to change and strengthen their skills on a digital level.

The second aspect, even more relevant, concerns the ethical implications of the implementation of artificial intelligence systems. As the latest technologies, in fact, there is still a legislative vacuum around their use. In the case of generative AI, for example, it is very difficult to trace back to the responsible parties in case they are produced and distributed harmful or incorrect content.

Finally, it is always important to remember how the new technologies of Artificial Intelligence should be considered tools in the hands of man, and not replaced by it. For wise, ethical and responsible use of these new “smartmachines”, therefore, it is essential to implement control mechanisms that avoid the spread of false, wrong or corrupted information from blame me resulting from data entered for system training.

The considerations on Artificial Intelligence are many and impossible to enclose in a single article. Certainly in the coming years we will still witness new and exciting discoveries in the technological field that will require us to adapt our skills to keep up with this ever-changing world.

Thanks to the new service IP tracking with system scoring of companies visiting the site and the innovative techniques of identification of buyers via keywords, Mallei can support your company in the digital transformation process through the use of AI tools dedicated to international development of SMEs.

In conclusion, that it sees it as a threat to man’s intellectual superiority or remains fascinated by its infinite potential, one thing is now certain: Artificial Intelligence is destined to forever revolutionize the export world and also SMEs will soon be called to re-adap their business models to respond to the challenges of the global market in Digital Era.