The business world is inundated with newfangled AI tools and technology, but younger business ownersGen-Z and millennials, in particularare much more interested in using them than Gen Xers and baby boomers.Thats one of the main takeaways from a new survey of small businesses by American Express, which was conducted by Morning Consult and polled more than 1,100 small business financial decision-makers. It found a massive generational rift when it comes to adopting AI for small business use. Specifically, almost 60% of millennial and Gen Z respondents said that their businesses were already utilizing AI to some degree, compared to only 34% of Gen X and baby boomers respondents.The survey also shines a light on how different generations of business leaders are using AI. Among younger respondents, the most common uses were for task automation and cash-flow analytics, whereas older respondents main use was for chatbots, virtual assistance, fraud protection, and workforce management. Overall, the most common use of AI among all respondents was for analyzing customer data, deploying chatbots or virtual assistants, and content creation.Even AI skeptics see some valueIn all, the survey provides a bit more insight into how AI is being used by small businesses in a broad sense, and how that use breaks down by generational lines.While many older Americans are approaching artificial intelligence with a healthy amount of skepticism, theyre also finding AI tools beneficial in many cases; there are even classes that seniors can take to get up to speed on all things AI-related. But younger people are taking a slow approach, too, in many cases. One report released in June found that only 4% of Gen Zers utilize AI tools on a regular basis.Consumers often dont see the upsides, either. A recent study from Washington State University found that some consumers will actually eschew products that mention AI in their descriptionsinstead opting for the normal dumb versions if given a choice.Still, the new Amex survey does offer an interesting glimpse into the generational divide thats occurring when it comes to AI use among small businesses. Whether that leads to a division in profitability for those differing business approaches, at this point, is anyones guess.