Generative AI (GenAI) has rapidly shifted from novelty to necessity. Tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Meta AI, and a fast-expanding ecosystem of advanced models are transforming how people create content, make decisions, design solutions, and understand markets. Yet despite widespread access, most users still engage with AI at a surface level — asking for rewrites, summaries, or notes — while overlooking the deeper strategic capabilities that could genuinely elevate their careers, businesses, and long-term growth.
The real power of GenAI emerges when we move beyond basic queries and start using these systems as engines of innovation. As AI becomes a core part of digital work, effective prompting is quickly turning into a vital skill.
Detailed prompts backed by context and clear output formats enable AI to deliver sophisticated outcomes—market analyses, business strategies, predictive insights, creative assets, and full design frameworks—rather than one-line responses. For SMEs in Oman, this shift from casual use to purposeful mastery will define who stays competitive in an increasingly digital economy.
Today’s advanced AI tools are far more capable than many realise. OpenAI’s suite allows businesses to create high-quality video advertising through Sora, develop deep content with ChatGPT, and convert meetings into structured intelligence using Whisper. GPT-based systems can even function as recommendation engines—personalising products, segmenting customers, or forecasting consumer behaviour using uploaded sales data. Such intelligence was once limited to large corporations with specialist analytics teams.
Google’s Gemini and DeepMind extend these capabilities across the Google ecosystem. Entrepreneurs can upload spreadsheets, business plans, and customer feedback to receive strategic recommendations, forecasts, and product development insights. Google’s Recommendation AI—used globally in retail and e-commerce — can help Omani SMEs personalise online storefronts, while tools like TextFX, Imagen, Flow, and Doppl support marketers with compelling content and visuals. NotebookLM further synthesises large information sets to help SMEs analyse trends and refine direction.
Emerging platforms such as Higgsfield, with its ultra-realistic AI-generated videos, allow businesses to produce cinematic advertising at a fraction of traditional costs. Meta AI, integrated into WhatsApp and Instagram, enables instant creation of captions, product descriptions, and ad variations on platforms widely used by Omani businesses.
A breakthrough concept—vibe coding—is making website and app development accessible through simple conversational instructions. Platforms like Codedesign.ai convert natural language into functional websites, mobile apps, and backend workflows, offering SMEs a practical route to digital transformation.
For Oman’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, the implications are profound. SMEs can reduce costs, boost responsiveness, and produce high-quality output with lean teams. From restaurants analysing menu patterns to home-based fashion brands generating professional video ads, the opportunities are vast.
GenAI is no longer an emerging trend —it is the backbone of modern business capability. For Omani entrepreneurs and SMEs, mastering these tools isn’t optional. Those who use AI strategically, creatively, and confidently will define the future of the digital marketplace.
Dr Khalid Hussain
The writer is Assoc Prof, College of Economics and Political Science, SQU
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