Purpose: This study examines the role of AI in small business operations. Specifically, we identified areas where AI could be deployed, barriers to AI deployment, AI tools in business, and the number of Small and Medium Scale Businesses (SMEs) that consciously use any form of AI in their business operations. Research Methodology: This study adopted a descriptive design. The population of the study was 27546 small businesses that were registered under the Cooperate Affairs Commission (CAC), and a sample size of 379 was arrived at by adopting Krejcie and Morgan's 1970 sample size determination formula. The source of data was solely primary, obtained through interviews, which later formed a stepping stone for the structured questionnaire used for the study. The instrument was validated and tested for reliability. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics consisting of frequencies and percentages. Results: Most SMEs in Nigeria operate manually; hence, they do not realize the massive potential of AI deployment and remain small in size. Conclusions: This study reveals that most SMEs in Nigeria are not utilizing AI, which limits their growth potential. Despite the benefits of AI, these businesses continue to operate manually, hindering their competitiveness. This study underscores the importance of promoting AI adoption among SMEs for improved operations and long-term success in the digital economy. Limitations: Descriptive statistics were used to reduce the inferrability of the findings. Contributions: Given the increasing dependence on technology and AI, this study highlights the importance of AI not only for big and multinational corporations, but also for SMEs in Nigeria.