March 15, 2026
SiouxFalls.Business has been around as a digital product about three times longer than ChatGPT.
As you enter your ninth year in business, can you share a story that is both eye-opening and humbling?
ChatGPT, launched in 2022, has over 1 billion users.
Sioux Falls, Business? Well, I have no complaints about reach. But it’s a little more limited. As ChatGPT affirmed when I asked them to describe SiouxFalls.Business’s reputation as a business news organization.
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sioux falls business is Local digital business news organization Specifically focused on Sioux Falls’ economic and business community.
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it was Founded in 2017 by journalist Jody Schwanhas been a local media professional for many years.
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Its mission is “We want to keep the Sioux Falls business community informed, connected and engaged.”
Because of this focus, it is often seen as:
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be Your leading source of local business news (New company, development, leadership change, retail store opening, etc.)
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be Community-oriented publications Rather than a broad investigative news organization.
Within Sioux Falls, this book is frequently read and cited by business leaders, developers, and economic organizations.
It further precisely details our contextual mix and business model, notes that we do not publish investigative journalism frequently, and concludes:
“SiouxFalls.Business is generally respected locally as a trusted business-focused publication.especially among Sioux Falls’ business and economic development community. However, it works like this Professional business press/community publications Better than traditional investigative newspapers. ”
It works fine for me!
Nine years ago, when I decided to create a free, digital-only product with a revenue model based on sponsored content partnerships, I thought I predicted the trajectory of digital news. In many ways, I was. Because of the structure of this business model and the support of our business community, we have been able to attract and grow both readership and revenue. I am very grateful for that.
But I don’t think anyone, at least locally, was aware that generative AI was coming when we first started “rolling out” in early 2017.
There is no doubt that this has accelerated in recent months. For news organizations, this will begin to force the same workflow changes as switching from print or analog media to digital media. Your work product will probably be clunky and even ugly for a while. The implications for reporting, writing, and editing are profound. If you find ways to use tools effectively, you can create work that your audience will find even more valuable.
That’s the problem my industry needs to solve. But more broadly, the impact of AI is showing up in new ways in my professional interactions almost every week.
You may want to email your questions to the interview source, especially if scheduling is difficult. I had multiple people use generative AI to create answers that were meant to be attributed to them.
I once accidentally left an AI attribution at the beginning of an email someone sent me that was ostensibly written by me.
I’ve been sent AI-generated strategic marketing directions, AI-generated content ideas, and AI-outlined story frameworks.
Sometimes the other party will tell you that AI is involved. In some cases, this may not be the case. I think I can say this with certainty. And I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that. We’re all trying to find use cases, uncover productivity potential, and maybe even hide our own skill gaps and insecurities. There’s still a lot about the output that leaves a lot to be desired for me, but it’s not hard to imagine refinements coming within reach.
One of the best approaches I heard came from a marketer at one of our advertising partners. He prefaced the background information he sent me with, “Some of it is generated by AI, but most of it is what we’re thinking about and what we’re talking about with our clients.”
When I told her about how common this is becoming, she said: “I tell my team, if we ever use it, to treat it like an intern. We never publish anything that isn’t edited and vetted. Now we make sure people know if we’re using AI.”
This pretty much describes how I feel at this stage of technology development.
But my bigger concern is that we rely on AI so much that it literally can’t think for us. For me, using it to proofread grammar, spelling, and punctuation is another thing. This saves time and improves quality. Generating my ideas, creating interview questions, and commissioning them to write stories is another. It may save time, but what happens to my own ability to plan, analyze, synthesize, and craft a compelling story over time?
If we use AI to take over our higher-level thinking skills, what happens when we are directly asked to spontaneously respond to problems that require us to think critically without crutches? I fear that if these mental muscles are not used regularly, they will atrophy just like our physical muscles.
That being said, I still think the benefits may outweigh the risks. We’ve seen examples of great work and can already see improved results. This evolution in technology will not only define the next decade of my business, but probably many industries around the world.
For now, if someone sends me an AI-generated artifact, I tend to put it aside, do some human thinking accordingly, and finally focus on the AI’s contribution. In some cases, there are helpful elements that enhance your work, especially if you drill down further to refine your output.
On that note, what image would you use for a column celebrating SiouxFalls.Business’ 9th anniversary? I’m sure there are plenty of options, but I was a bit pressed for time and didn’t feel like investing too much into figuring it out.
ChatGPT delivered the image shown in this story with one prompt. Could it have been better? of course. Will it work in this case? I think so. Now, I think I need to run the column for proofreading.
