<![CDATA[Dependence on professional financial consultants remains a persistent barrier for most SME owners, particularly those operating with limited resources and minimal exposure to formal financial education. The rapid development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has created a concrete opportunity to address this gap — not through expensive systems, but through accessible tools such as AI-based chatbots. This community service program was designed to strengthen financial literacy and business self-reliance among SME owners through structured training on AI chatbot usage as a financial consultation medium. The program was carried out in three stages: training sessions, direct hands-on practice, and guided mentoring. A pre-test and post-test assessment was administered to measure knowledge gains across four indicators — financial literacy, AI concept comprehension, chatbot operation skills, and financial decision-making. Results show substantial improvement across all indicators, with the sharpest gains recorded in chatbot operation (114%) and AI comprehension (95%). Participants also reported greater confidence in managing daily financial records and making structured business decisions. These findings suggest that AI-based chatbot training is a viable, low-cost approach to accelerating the digital shift of SMEs in Indonesia.]]>
