Artificial intelligence promises to revolutionize commerce, but how quickly will this happen and what does that mean for small business owners? To answer these question, host Jim Fitzpatrick is joined by Bill Harper, CEO and chief creative officer of BrandBoss HQ on this edition of The Small Business Show.
Harper begins by noting that while AI is certainly impressive, its actual use-cases are still not fully understood. As such, while the effects of this technology will be profound, what these will look like remains to be seen. “The thing that’s interesting is; how much people are excited about it and trying to quickly adopt it, and how unproven the tool is,” he explains. Limitations are already becoming evident in AI tools. For example, content written by text generators, like ChatGPT, are often filled with factual and grammatical errors, making such platforms less useful for situations where clarity and truthfulness are needed. Although developers can attempt to reduce the number of mistakes an AI makes, it will take some time before they can guarantee 100% accuracy.
Attempting to implement AI without an understanding of its limitations can lead to unintended consequences. One such result is the over-saturation of computer-generated media. Many businesses now use these tools to drastically increase the number of articles they produce, flooding the market with inaccurate and poorly-written information. This, in turn, reduces the general value of content, underscoring the need for companies to use this technology carefully and intelligently. “As much as this is an expedite tool, that helps to do things more efficiently and faster, it still needs to be governed and guided,” remarks Harper.
To get the most from their AI tools, business owners will need to be aware of the limitations inherent within the technology, and develop ways to overcome these obstacles. “I think the real first strategy is to go back to the brand basics that ultimately serve every business,” states Harper. “The more that we focus back on those fundamentals, the tool becomes a gateway to faster production, but it doesn’t take from the thinking behind it and the strategy behind as it relates to building a brand or a business.”
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