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Editor’s note: On Nov. 15, The Business Journal’s news team put together a roundtable discussion featuring representatives from several industries sharing their experiences using Artificial Intelligence. This is the first part of a three-part series analyzing some of the key areas in which AI is being used.

As artificial intelligence continues to seep into everyday life, it’s also transforming the business world and how employers and employees operate.

Like all world-changing revolutions — both social and technological — there are fears about the impact on people and jobs.

Advancements in industrial robotics and computer-aided manufacturing in the 1980s led to more automation in sectors such as manufacturing, which prompted fears of workers being replaced by machines.

Even more recently, the installation of self-check-out stands in retailers or self-service kiosks in fast-food restaurants led to talks of workers being laid-off to reduce labor costs.

While concerns regarding AI could be justified, it could also be a helpful tool for small business.

According to a 2020 report from the World Economic Forum, experts predict that 85 million jobs will be displaced by AI and automation by 2050, but also believe that 97 million new jobs will be created by the AI revolution.

 

More calls

Kaysi Curtin is the founder and owner of Sandler Training by K Curtin Consulting, a sales training and consulting firm. She is looking toward AI to help get through one of the most dreaded aspects of sales.

Early this year, Curtin founded Kash Caller AI to perform cold calls for sales teams and deal with customer service issues for business.

The AI agents, referred to as “Kash Agents,” can be trained to do exactly what it’s told to do — while a person might get nervous, stumble their words or go off script.

Curtin said she uses AI for her own business, using it to set up appointments, which can then send reminder texts.

 

The possibilities are endless when it comes to the technology.

“With AI outbound calling, you could push a button and make 10,000 dials within a matter of minutes,” Curtin said.

Curtin said she has clients who pride themselves on having a “warm body that answers 1-800 [phone numbers],” but points out that no one will be available to take customer service calls after 5 pm.

AI can take calls after a business closes and have a conversation with a customer and then transfer them to a live person, she said.

“We don’t want to take the jobs of humans, but they [AI agents] could be a lot more effective and efficient than humans can, and they are not going to make those same mistakes — and it’s a lot cheaper than having a warm body,” Curtin said.

 

Gold rush

Adrian Rodriguez, owner of Anchored Web Solutions in Fresno, provides web development, marketing, media consulting services and more across all sectors. He started using AI after seeing the benefits.

He started experimenting with cold calling, but within the last year he has used it to write grant proposals for nonprofit organizations.

He said the advancements of AI mirrors the technological revolution that came with emergence of the internet.

Rodriguez utilizes AI for image generation as well as ChatGPT for grant writing, which does need to be trained for more accuracy.

“I’m also very, very excited to use it in so many ways and to prove that it can do these great things,” Rodriguez.

 

Greater penetration

As the use of artificial intelligence is expands, more small firms say they’re harnessing AI to help their businesses.

In a survey by The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Teneo in September, nearly every small business — 98% — said they are utilizing a tool that is enabled by AI. Forty percent said they’re using generative AI tools like chatbots and image creation, nearly double from last year’s survey.

 

Small business owners say finding the right AI tools helps them save on personnel costs and frees up time. But they also stress that human oversight is still a necessity.

“AI allows small businesses — who many times do not have the staff or resources of their competitors — to punch above their weight,” said Jordan Crenshaw, senior vice president of the U.S. Chamber’s Technology Engagement Center. “It’s encouraging to see small businesses embrace technology and express optimism for the future as these platforms serve as a catalyst for innovation and resilience.”