Tech advances are nothing new—face this one head-on!

As a business owner, do you need to be scared of AI?

The short answer is: not if you approach it the right way. We were privileged to speak to Stephen McConnachie of Think e-Learning, an ICT consultant for education and corporate clients who is well acquainted with digital trends and advances including the recent rise of tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and the like. 

His primary message to business owners was a simple one. Knowledge is power, and preparation is crucial. Don’t bury your head in the sand!

AI is nothing new

Stephen gave us a brief rundown of how we got here, beginning with the fact that artificial intelligence has been around for a very long time—just used in different ways. If you use some kind of job or project management software that collects and stores information to make tasks like scheduling and invoicing easier, you’re using AI. Face ID, Social media feeds, spell checkers, autofills, and other digital helpers are all examples of AI. This article showcases some examples of research into artificial intelligence as early as the 1950s, including some early concepts of robots.

What’s recently been on everybody’s minds is specifically generative AI; tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Copilot, etc. These will generate text or images according to the prompt entered. As with previous technological advances, dating back to the advent of machinery, this has people wondering how it will affect their everyday lives, businesses, and livelihoods.

Stephen’s AI advice for business owners

With some understanding of the history of AI, we hope that the new developments are a little less intimidating! For our audience, the question of “where do we go from here?” is always top of mind—so here’s what Stephen suggested for SME owners approaching AI and generative AI tools warily.

Embrace; don’t ignore

Sticking your head in the sand is a fairly natural response to something new and potentially intimidating. And as a business owner, you can ignore what AI has to offer and carry on with the status quo—but that’s not a good long-term strategy.

Stephen used a plumber as an example. Old-school thinking might have them telling their customers that they shouldn’t trust any advice whatsoever from ChatGPT. It’s an understandable standpoint; many businesses will fear losing customers to AI. However, many potential customers will inevitably ask ChatGPT how to fix their toilet and then call a plumber if their attempts fail. There’s no putting the cork back into the bottle!

Position yourself as the fallback experts, complementary to AI solutions. If someone’s attempting a DIY, you can sell them the parts. If they encounter an issue that AI can’t solve, you’re the top option. This is applicable across many industries. Market yourself as working in conjunction with these new tools and building on what they can provide.

Be responsible

“The key thing is, don’t type anything into any generative AI tool that you wouldn't be happy to put on a poster at your reception.”

Stephen highlighted that data security when using AI tools is an area of concern not too often spoken about. What you put into a generative AI interface does not disappear into the ether; particularly if it’s a free tool and not a paid one (Stephen recommends exercising caution even with paid tools due to the possibility of data breaches). What you put in feeds the pool of information that the tool will use. Keep your customer and sensitive data safe!

Use it to understand

Generative AI tools, with their ability to iterate on questions, can be great for helping you to understand things like the contents of legislation, health and safety requirements, and more. Stephen recommends that you continue the conversation, ask the tool to reword things, and use it as a study tool—making sure to check sources when stakes are high.

Many are not aware of the full power of generative AI. It can help you to organise your thoughts, further your thinking, point out perspectives that may not come naturally. Don’t ask a question and leave it at that; ask more and dig deeper. 

Lean into your human element

The fear of being replaced by robot overlords is real. We’ve mentioned above that ignoring the rise of AI tools is not the best route to take—but you can play up the value of a human touch in your industry, both instead of and in addition to the power of AI. These tools can’t answer questions that haven’t been asked, but you as the human expert know what to ask and what to pursue.

Put a face in your videos. Write social posts, blogs, and more that demonstrate your experience and knowledge. Make your customer service stand out. Those are things that AI can’t offer!

Looking forward

AI is here to stay, and it doesn't need to be scary. It will change things for business owners—for everyone—but adapting to new technology is nothing that people haven’t had to do before, repeatedly and continuously. We hope that Stephen’s insight helps you to be ready to meet it head-on!

If you’re a company or educational institute seeking guidance on how to best approach and deploy AI (and other digital changes) in your organisation, be sure to contact Stephen—he offers mentorship, professional development, CliftonStrengths coaching, and strategy, all supported by many years of experience and research in the field. He’s a business owner himself, and he knows the struggle!

And if you’re looking for human power to supplement what computers can do for you, get in touch with the Released team. We’ve got customer service experts, bookkeeping extraordinaires, marketing whizzes, and more who can harness the power of technology to ensure we’re doing the most, in the most efficient way possible.