Is the Presence of AI Agents a Threat or Opportunity for MSME Entrepreneurs in Indonesia?

The study findings suggest that AI agents help entrepreneurs from small and medium enterprises navigate between growth opportunities and substantial implementation barriers. Most participants see AI as a way to improve performance through system automation, but some individuals believe that it creates risks from expensive implementation demands as well as lack of skills and job transition issues. Business owners working in the technology sector along with experienced digital practitioners expressed an optimistic impression about AI while the traditional industry maintained a negative opinion regarding the impact of AI on human intelligence and personal communication when working together. Equal access and adoption of AI depend largely on targeted initiatives that provide affordable AI tools as well as training programs for specific sectors and financial policies to remove barriers. Research should analyze the lasting economic effects of AI integration across different segments of MSMEs and assess the outcomes generated by programs intended to help businesses overcome adoption barriers. Strategic AI navigation for MSMEs becomes possible through partnerships between policymakers and industry stakeholders with educational institutions to achieve innovation while promoting inclusivity. This study is limited by its qualitative design and small sample size, which may not fully represent the diversity of Indonesia’s MSME landscape. Future research could adopt a mixed-methods approach or include longitudinal tracking to assess long-term impact.