Artificial intelligence (AI) has existed for decades; but technology that was once specific to the medical, finance and manufacturing spaces is now at everyone’s fingertips. We’ve even seen the growth of AI here in Buffalo. At the end of May, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer released the Senate’s bipartisan “roadmap” for the coming age of AI, stating that he sees Western New York as a destination on that road map.
John Fletcher serves as chief financial officer and chief information officer at Crowley Webb, a leading full-service marketing communications agency in Buffalo, NY.
Despite still being vastly unregulated, AI has become a cultural and political touchstone, and lawmakers like Schumer are working quickly to provide guardrails but also to understand how AI can benefit the average American worker.
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Many, like myself, don’t see AI as the employment killer it’s been purported to be. AI can provide support and help small businesses work more efficiently. As economist Richard Baldwin said at the 2023 World Economic Forum’s Growth Summit, “AI won’t take your job. It’s somebody using AI that will take your job.”
Just like small business owners in the ‘90s had a hard time understanding how the internet could help their business, AI may interest you, scare you or overwhelm you. While it’s not advisable to completely disrupt your workflow overnight to incorporate AI, Western New York business owners should get a better sense of how AI can be a boon.
For example, you can use AI to collect data related to your business, as its algorithms analyze data quickly, helping to uncover insights in a fraction of the time. AI can also create shopper personas to better inform your marketing strategies, or it can rewrite emails to adopt a more professional tone. To start experimenting with AI, you can try AI enhancements within products you’re already familiar with, like Google’s Gemini tool, OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Adobe’s AI Assistant.
Of course, AI is neither perfect nor foolproof. Although we live in the age of AI, there should always be a human element to the work you produce. Yes, AI is helpful for sparking new ideas and generating material (this very write-up included), but copy and pasting should never replace a second set of eyes. You could lose your identity and your audience without finding the right balance.
There may be a million reasons why AI sets off alarm bells, but in a time when this technology is experiencing groundbreaking advancement, as a small business in Buffalo, it’s best to lean into understanding how it can help. However D.C. lawmakers and local officials decide to expand AI in Western New York, whether through training or more widespread usage, we have the opportunity right now to better understand and leverage a technology that will soon be part of the professional norm.
John Fletcher serves as chief financial officer and chief information officer at Crowley Webb, a leading full-service marketing communications agency in Buffalo.
