Only 14% of businesses have fully adopted AI — and Mark Cuban says that gap gives college grads a unique opportunity

Artificial intelligence is quickly becoming a part of the business landscape, but many business owners still don't have a firm understanding of the technology. And that, billionaire Mark Cuban says, could present a lucrative career path for students coming out of college.

"Learn all you can about AI, but learn more about how to implement [it] in companies," he said on the TBPN podcast (1). "Companies don't understand how to implement all of that right now to get a competitive advantage. You've got the head of Microsoft saying 'software is dead because everything is going to be customized to your unique usage.' Who's going to do it for them? Particularly [for] small and medium sized businesses?"

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Cuban's comments were made last August, but they're still applicable today — and are a good reminder for the many students graduating this month and next. AI is a fast-moving industry that small business owners simply don't have the time to focus on, as they fight to keep their businesses afloat in an increasingly difficult economy.

The knowledge gap

A March 2026 survey (2) of small business owners by Goldman Sachs found that 76% of respondents are currently using AI in some fashion. And they're bullish on its role in their growth. That said, there's still a huge demand for training and support.

"AI is already helping small businesses compete, save time, and better serve customers — but many of us are still figuring out how to use it effectively," said Khari Parker , co-founder of Connie's Chicken and Waffles in Baltimore, in a statement regarding the study. "With the right guidance and training, AI can be transformational for Main Street."

Just 14% of owners have embedded AI across their core operations, Goldman Sachs found. That indicates they haven't fully figured out how to use it to give their company an advantage. Cuban likened the dawn of the AI age to his early days as an entrepreneur.

"When I was 24, I was walking into companies who had never seen a PC before in their lives and explaining to them the value and having these guys go 'well son I've got this receptionist right here; I've got that receptionist right there. I'm never gonna need that shit ever'," he said. "My business then was teaching them how to implement it and give them an advantage."

Read More: Millionaires under 43 hold only 25% of their wealth in stocks. Here’s where their money is actually going

The opening for AI natives

AI companies know there's room to grow when it comes to small and medium-sized businesses implementing the technology.

"What our research shows is that around 32% of SMB employees don't really know how or when to use AI," Anthropic's small business go-to-market lead Lina Ochman told Fast Company (3) earlier this month.

That's where college graduates can help. Schools are increasingly offering AI education courses (4). Some, such as Ohio State University and Purdue University, require (5) a basic level of AI competency for graduation.

The more those students can learn about customizing a model and showing how a business can beat its rivals with the help of AI, the better their chances of finding a considerable amount of work waiting for them when they graduate, said Cuban.

"There are millions of companies … that aren't going to have AI budgets or experts," he said. "This is where kids getting hired coming out of college are really going to have a unique opportunity. … That is every single job that's going to be available for kids coming out of school because every single company needs that."

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X (formerly Twitter) (1); Goldman Sachs (2); Fast Company (3); Viai Education (4); CNBC (5)

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