Modernization that forgets those who work

The latest aid plan to digitize small businesses boasts of bringing AI to the corner workshop, but omits the uncomfortable detail: neither the employees know how to use it nor do the customers have access. A contradiction that smacks of empty promises, where technology advances and precariousness remains stagnant.

small workshop interior, elderly mechanic in grease-stained overalls staring at a tablet showing error message while holding a rusty wrench, dusty CNC machine in background with cobwebs, cracked smartphone on workbench displaying payment declined screen, faded posters of old machinery on brick wall, fluorescent tube flickering above, contrasting shiny new AI terminal box on shelf with unplugged cable, cold blue light from tablet casting shadows, photorealistic technical illustration, dramatic chiaroscuro lighting, ultra-detailed textures of metal grime and peeling paint, cinematic composition emphasizing isolation and obsolescence

Training: the missing link in the technology equation 🤖

Without mandatory free digital training programs and reduced working hours without loss of pay, AI will remain a mere ornament in SMEs. The training gap is not closed with a PDF manual or a 20-minute webinar. Real time is needed to learn, something incompatible with 10-hour workdays and minimum wages.

The AI that arrives on its own, like money in the bank 💸

The plan assumes that workers will master the magic prompt between orders, without stable internet or retraining. It is like giving a spaceship to someone who barely knows how to change a car tire. In the end, modernization will be real when the aid includes time for training, not just for buying software.