One of the great things about AI is that getting started with the technology doesn’t have to be a time or money drain. Understanding AI and its long-term business value can be achieved simply by experimenting with a few inexpensive deployments.
To help you get started, here are six low-budget AI projects that require only a modest financial commitment yet offer powerful insights into the technology’s potential business worth.
1. Chatbot
Before attempting a complex AI application, many experts advise beginning with something very simple, such as an internal chatbot. “Starting slow enables application architects and developers to consider the intricacies AI introduces to application threat models and ‘skill-up’ in low-sensitivity environments,” says David Brauchler, technical director and head of AI and ML security at cybersecurity consultancy NCC Group, one of several experts interviewed online.
External chatbots are just as easy to deploy. “Many small businesses struggle with responding to customer inquiries quickly, and an AI chatbot can handle frequently asked questions, provide product recommendations, and even assist with appointment bookings,” says Anbang Xu, founder of JoggAI, an AI-driven video automation platform, agrees. He notes that tools like ChatGPT, DialogFlow, or ManyChat offer easy integrations with websites and social media.
2. Web scraper
Consider building a custom web scraper to automatically monitor competitors’ websites and other relevant sites, suggests Elisa Montanari, head of organic growth at work management platform provider Wrike. The scraper will summarize relevant content and deliver it in a daily or weekly digest. “In the marketing department alone, that intelligence can help you spend more time strategizing and creating content or campaigns rather than trying to piece together the competitive landscape.”
Montanari adds that Web scrapers are relatively simple to design, easily scalable, and relatively inexpensive.
3. Intelligent virtual assistant
A great low-cost starter project, particularly for smaller businesses, is an AI-powered intelligent virtual assistant (IVA) dedicated to customer service, says Frank Schneider, AI evangelist at AI analytics firm Verint. “IVAs can handle routine customer inquiries, provide information, and even assist with basic troubleshooting.”
Many IVA solutions are affordable or even free, making them easily accessible to any small business, Schneider says. They’re also relatively simple to create and can integrate with existing systems, requiring minimal technical expertise.
4. Internal knowledge base
An initial AI project should be internal-facing, low risk, and useful, says Loren Absher, a director and lead analyst with technology research and advisory firm ISG. An AI-powered internal knowledge base meets all of those goals. “It lets employees quickly access company policies, training materials, and process documentation, using natural language.”
“This type of project is a perfect introduction to AI because it’s practical, low cost, and reduces risk by staying internal,” Absher says. “It gives the company hands-on experience with AI fundamentals — data management, model training, and user interaction — without disrupting external operations,” he notes. “Plus, it’s easy to experiment with open-source tools and pay-as-you-go AI services, so there’s no big upfront investment.”
The best approach to creating an AI-driven internal knowledge base is to assign a cross-functional team to the project, Absher advises. An IT or a data specialist can handle the technical side, a business process owner will ensure its usefulness, and someone from compliance or knowledge management will help keep the information accurate and secure, he says.
5. Ad builder
Anmol Agarwal, founder of corporate training firm Alora Tech, believes that a great low-cost way to get your feet wet is using generative AI tools to enhance business productivity. “For example, use GenAI to create ads for your company, create email templates, even revise emails.”
Agarwal is bullish on GenAI. She notes that only minimum effort is required, since the code is already there and doesn’t require programming experience.
6. Sales lead scoring
An AI-powered lead scoring program is a low-cost, yet highly practical, AI starter project, says Egor Belenkov, founder and CEO of digital signage solutions provider Kitcast. With the help of historical data and behaviors, the program will help users find leads based on their likelihood of conversion into customers. “This tool will help the sales team to focus on high-potential leads and improve conversion rates significantly.”
This project makes a great starting point due to its ease in implementation and the value it provides, Belenkov says. “Sales teams will be able to personalize their outreach based on their needs and requirements,” he explains. “It will also help the marketing team by adjusting their campaigns based on which leads are identified as most valuable.”
Another important benefit is the ability to analyze patterns across multiple points, such as website activity or email engagement, to predict which leads will be most likely to convert. “This eliminates the guessing game about which clients would decide to buy and which wouldn’t,” Belenkov says.