This community voice column is written Dawn Winterhalter Parks, director of Bizaccesshub at Haile College of Business at NKU, and AI Strategist.
Straighten the record. AI is not here for your work. But maybe those who know how to use it.
It's a message that nky businesses need to hear that they're focusing rather than fearing. Much of the national conversation centers around mass technology layoffs in companies like P&G and Microsoft, but that's not a story here. Small businesses in Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties are not abandoning people for AI. They are still trying to hire.
No talent has come. That's the real problem
Janet Haller, director of NKU's Economic Analytical Development Centre, revealed that in a recent report. Our workforce is aging and our pipeline of young workers is shrinking. NKY's workforce is slower than demand, and unemployment is stubbornly falling.
So, small businesses are doing what they've always done, working hard, adapting, trying to stretch their teams thin enough to cover every shift, project and customer touchpoint. But here's it: when you're running low on resources, you're exposed too.
And that's where AI comes in, not as a futuristic device, but as a practical necessity.
From enhancement to armor
Yes, AI can write social media captions. Schedule meetings and automate invoices. But it's not the only reason to take it seriously. The real story is how AI functions as a digital shield.
But what's become increasingly clear, especially in the aftermath of major cybersecurity violations, is when you're not using it to protect your business, your data, your customers, and the vulnerable. It's not just hackers. And perhaps irrelevant.
Even in most small businesses with sensitive customer data, corner bakeries are vulnerable to cyber threats. According to the costs of IBM's 2024 data breach report, SMEs currently account for more than 43% of cyberattacks, with an average breaches costing more than $2.9 million in revenue, fines, downtime and recovery.
However, it is helpful that AI tools exist. From behavior-based fraud detection to automatic login alerts, network traffic scanning to phishing detection, the currently available AI solutions can significantly reduce risk even if you don't have a dedicated IT department. Details on cybersecurity in the next article.
You don't need to exchange people: you need to strengthen them
At almost every NKY company that has gone through our bootcamp and masterclass, AI is used to it support A human team, not a replacement for them.
- Flag accounting software abnormalities before it becomes an IRS issue.
- Catch suspicious login attempts before the site is taken hostage.
- Automate repetitive admin tasks so that staff can focus on customer relationships.
- And yes, it will help you continue to comply with increasingly strict privacy laws.
This is not about “triedizing new technologies.” It's about protecting what you've already built.
A big threat? Being late
This is a difficult truth I learned after 20 years of coaching business owners. It's not usually a big mess to kill business. It's slow erosion. A missed opportunity. Gradual cutting between your methods Used Run your company and how your competitors run them now.
AI is a language, just like financial literacy. If you don't talk about it, you don't know what you don't know. You could potentially pay a triple of half the marketing costs of the result. You may be vulnerable to data breaches you may not have noticed. You may be hiring for tasks that can be automated while overlooking the talent you already have.
This is not a hype. It's hygiene
I'm not here to tell you “started small.” I'm here to tell you Start smart– And get started now. Just as you don't go without insurance, you should not go without exploring AI for your business. That's part of doing business now.
No, it's because AI might not come for Your work. But if you ignore it long enough, it may come for your business.
This article was developed with support for AI tools.
I used ChatGpt and Perplexity.AI to study myths about artificial intelligence in general and find reliable sources such as Forbes, Harvard Business Review, LinkedIn, and more. We also used grammar to check spelling, grammar and clarity.
These tools helped me organize, refine and enhance the ideas presented, but all the sentences were reviewed and shaped by me. My thoughts and conclusions are my own.
If you have any ideas for a Community Voices column, please email Meghan Goth at mgoth@linknky.com.
Click here to read the Community Voice column.
