SMEC AI launches free national AI Information Line for small businesses
SMB Tech reports on the free national phone line bringing practical AI answers to SMEs.
By Nick Ross · First published by SMB Tech. Republished with permission.
SMEC AI Launches Free National AI Information Line For Small Businesses
A government-backed AI adoption centre has launched a free national phone service designed to give Australian small and medium enterprises practical help with artificial intelligence.
The Small to Medium Enterprise Centre of AI (SMEC AI), which operates under the Australian Government’s AI Adopt program, has made the AI Information Line available on 1800 517 403 and at smecai.au.
The service was unveiled in Melbourne at an event co-hosted with the National AI Centre (NAIC), where NAIC Executive Director Lee Hickin joined a discussion on Australia’s National AI Strategy and the future of AI adoption across the economy.
The adoption gap
The AI Information Line is aimed squarely at a persistent problem: most Australian small businesses are not getting meaningful value from AI, and many have no idea where to start.
Deloitte Access Economics research from November 2025 found that while around two-thirds of Australian small and medium businesses now use AI in some form, only about five per cent of those using it are doing so to anywhere near its full potential.
More than half of SME workforces have only a basic or novice familiarity with the technology. Around a third of non-adopting SMBs told researchers they simply don’t know where to begin.
Andrew Lai, Managing Director of SMEC AI, described the service as a way to remove that initial barrier.
“Most small businesses don’t stall on AI because they aren’t interested. They stall because they don’t know where to start, and they can’t afford to get it wrong,” Lai said.
“The AI Information Line removes that first barrier. We built this under the AI Adopt program so that trustworthy AI assistance isn’t a privilege of big companies with big budgets. It’s a free, national front door to AI for every small business in the country.”
How the service works
The AI Information Line is built to give small business owners a structured first conversation about AI in the time it takes to make a phone call.
A caller describes their problem in plain language. An AI voice agent answers within seconds, works through a structured intake and points the caller to general AI options worth considering. The voice agent clearly identifies itself as AI at the start of every call.
After the call, the caller receives a written AI Information Summary by text – a plain-English recap of what was discussed and some suggested next steps to consider. The summary provides general information rather than professional advice.
Callers can ask to book a time with a member of the SMEC AI team at any point during or after the conversation.
The service does not provide professional, legal, financial, tax or clinical advice, and any tools or categories mentioned during a call are examples to consider rather than endorsements. SMEC AI receives no commissions from any provider.
Responsible AI safeguards
SMEC AI has positioned the initiative as a publicly accessible example of responsible AI deployed at national scale.
The organisation said the service was designed with safeguards built in and tested before launch. Beyond the upfront AI disclosure, every AI Information Summary is logged and auditable, and the option to speak with a human team member is available at any time.
The service is Australian-built and operated under the AI Adopt mandate.
The economic case
The Deloitte Access Economics modelling from November 2025, commissioned by Amazon, estimated that around $44 billion could be added to Australia’s economy each year if just one in ten lower-maturity Australian small and medium businesses advanced one rung on the AI maturity ladder.
That figure underpins the rationale for the AI Information Line, which SMEC AI frames as a measurable way to lift SME AI capability across the country.
Hickin pointed to the importance of meeting small businesses where they are with accessible support.
“Australia’s opportunity in AI will be shaped by how confidently our small and medium businesses can adopt it, safely, and purposefully. That means meeting them where they are, with practical and responsible support,” Hickin said.
“Initiatives that are built to a high standard of safety and accountability help give the SME sector a clearer, more confident path to adopt AI, and that is good for the whole economy.”
How to access the service
Australian small and medium businesses can call 1800 517 403 or visit smecai.au. The service is free and available now.