<![CDATA[Purpose: This study examines the concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI) democratization and its relevance to Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs), particularly in emerging economies.Methodology: This study adopted a conceptual and exploratory approach and synthesized the extant literature on AI adoption, digital transformation, and small business performance.Results: The study findings revealed that democratizing AI enhances SMEs’ operational efficiency, strategic decision-making, customer relationship management, and innovation capabilities by lowering barriers to entry through cloud-based and low-code solutions. Furthermore, the findings show that technology giants, governments, academic institutions, and internal organizational actors play critical roles in facilitating AI accessibility and adoption in the healthcare sector. Additionally, platforms such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) are instrumental in providing scalable and affordable AI solutions for small enterprises.Conclusions: The study concluded that AI democratization is a crucial pathway for enabling SMEs to compete effectively in the digital economy and achieve sustainable growth.Limitations: This study is limited by its conceptual and exploratory nature, as it relies exclusively on the existing literature rather than primary empirical evidence.Contributions: This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on AI by extending the discourse on AI democratization to the context of SMEs. This study further identifies the critical stakeholders and cloud-based platforms that facilitate AI accessibility for SMEs, thereby offering a structured reference for researchers, policymakers, and business practitioners seeking to promote inclusive AI adoption, particularly in emerging economies.]]>
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