Last month the big vendors stopped talking about chatbots and started shipping AI "agents." An agent is software you give a job to. It connects to your other tools and takes steps to get that job done, sometimes on a schedule.
What changed in September
- Meta launched Muse for Small Business on September 29. It connects to tools like Shopify, Stripe and QuickBooks, and Meta says nothing publishes, sends or spends without your approval.
- Anthropic updated Claude for Small Business on September 15 with 43 pre-built workflows, including a Monday brief on cash, sales and overdue invoices. Every workflow starts in approval mode by default.
Most owners are still experimenting. The U.S. Chamber reports 66% of small businesses use AI, but the Census Bureau found fewer than 20% of firms with four or fewer employees had used it in the past two weeks. You haven't missed the boat.
Keep your hand on the wheel
Joint guidance from CISA, the NSA and allied agencies, summarized by Mayer Brown, says to start with low-risk tasks, never give agents broad access to sensitive data, and keep human review on high-impact actions. It also warns about "prompt injection," where hidden instructions in an email or webpage trick an agent. An approval step limits the damage.
How to start
- Pick one routine job, like a weekly numbers summary or drafting inbox replies.
- Use the platform you already live in.
- Connect only what that job needs.
- Keep approval on and review everything before it goes out.
- Time it now and again in two to four weeks. Keep it only if it saves real time.
Start small, check the work, and grow from there.