Artificial intelligence began as a way to: Audra Nasser What started out as writing social media captions quickly became her go-to point for almost every part of running a small business.
Mr. Nasser, founder of a Tampa-area prepared meal company Dinner completedHe said AI will give small businesses access to some of the resources available to their larger competitors. She was one of the panelists who spoke Building America’s AI A panel discussion was held in Tampa on Thursday.
The forum was moderated by Florida Political Publishers. Peter SchorschSponsored by Let’s bake more pies marketing agency.
Mr. Nasser runs a family-run company that employs about 15 people but does not have separate legal, human resources, marketing or strategic planning departments. Nasser explained that thanks to artificial intelligence, access to audio information related to these issues has become more accessible.
She initially used ChatGPT for basic social content and planning. But as the system learned more about her voice and her company, she began to see its huge potential to improve her business and help fill the gaps in her small team.
“Suddenly, it felt like I had expert advice at my fingertips whenever I needed it, whether it was 2 a.m. or 3 a.m.,” Nasser said. “They remember our conversations. I think this is a real game changer, especially for small businesses.”
Julio FuentesRepresentative Director, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commercesays these features help level the playing field.
He argued that even companies with just a few employees can use AI to perform some of the administrative, research, and communications tasks that would otherwise be handled by a much larger back-office team. This allows businesses operating with two or three people to compete with businesses that employ dozens of people to perform similar tasks.
“When I look at AI and this topic, I think of small businesses in Hialeah, stores with two to three employees, or small businesses with five to six employees here in Tampa. It’s a really game-changer to level the playing field. These businesses can now compete against businesses with 40 or 50 employees doing similar work in the back.”
cordos owenThe founder and CEO of marketing agency Bake More Pies said companies need to think carefully about where they deploy technology.
Owen said companies need to consider whether AI systems have the data they need to understand their business, how much human judgment the tasks require, the potential economic benefits, and how quickly they can implement the technology.
“If it’s a high-volume, repetitive task with low cognitive capacity and very few edge cases, that’s a very good candidate for AI. If it’s a highly interpersonal type of task that requires empathy and listening and a very complex context, that’s a human job,” he said.
Nasser said differentiation has become especially important in his business. As she introduced the use of AI, she said an intern studying advertising and public relations approached her to speak up about her concerns about the use of AI.
She explained that her interns felt threatened by the technology, and warned that many of her colleagues would be quick to refuse business if they believed artificial intelligence was being used.
Nasser said he listened, and the company put a perimeter around AI-generated images and videos. While the company may reconsider its position as consumer attitudes change, it does not currently believe the potential savings are worth risking customer confidence.
She said businesses should listen to these concerns because they reflect trends in the community.
“I think it’s really important to listen to people’s fears and understand where those fears are coming from,” Nasser said.
Owen said that in a digital world filled with deepfakes, automated messages and other AI-generated material, the company is focused on meeting face-to-face with customers, sharing meals and maintaining personal relationships rather than replacing those interactions with technology.
As information and content generation becomes easier, human connections will become increasingly important, he said.
“We’re entering an era where we’re asking more questions about what we trust,” Owen said.
