Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Investor Kevin O'Leary said artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a competitive advantage for businesses that learn to use the technology effectively, warning that companies that lag could struggle to keep pace. On Wednesday, O'Leary shared his comments on X, arguing that AI should be viewed as a tool for entrepreneurs rather than simply a threat to their businesses.
"AI isn't here to replace great entrepreneurs. I see it as leverage," he wrote. He said businesses adopting AI now could "do more, move faster, and compete better." A single bad hire can set a startup back years.
Here are the 5 hires founders most often misjudge — and why Still Learning the Market? These 50 Must-Know Terms Can Help You Catch Up Fast In a video accompanying the post, O'Leary divided business owners into two groups: those learning to use AI to become "more efficient, more productive, and more profitable" and those that will eventually compete against them. He said companies are already using AI to improve marketing, streamline operations, strengthen customer service, analyze data faster and create content while reducing time spent on repetitive tasks.
"AI isn't just here to replace great entrepreneurs; it's here to help great entrepreneurs accomplish more with less," O'Leary said. I see it as leverage – the businesses learning to use it now will do more, move faster, and compete better. pic.twitter.com/5q0gZleMnR — Kevin O'Leary aka Mr. Wonderful (@kevinolearytv) August 12, 2026 Trending: Avoid the #1 Investing Mistake: How Your 'Safe' Holdings Could Be Costing You Big Time Earlier, Meta Platforms Inc. planned 8,000 layoffs, which were presented as part of a broader shift toward AI-driven efficiency, while the "Automator's Paradox" warned that widespread automation could reduce wages and consumer spending.
Meanwhile, ServiceNow, Inc. partnered with Experian to expand AI-powered enterprise automation, using autonomous agents for tasks including onboarding, fraud detection and risk management. CEO Jamie Dimon warned that AI could significantly disrupt employment, noting that about 150,000 employees were using a large language model weekly. See Also: Skip the Regrets: The Essential Retirement Tips Experts Wish Everyone Knew Earlier.
He said the company had focused on retraining and redeploying workers affected by automation. AI adoption also highlighted a gender gap. Lean In research found that men were 22% more likely than women to use AI daily or constantly at work, while the International Labour Organization found that jobs in female-dominated occupations had greater exposure to generative AI.
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