Upper Valley businesses cautiously implement AI tools

thesetoolsto protectourselves,our partners,our company’s information, and our user data.”

Pittman went on to say in his company memothat: “As temptingas it is, please don’t use AI tools like ChatGPToncompany devicesorinrelationto companywork,or putany company documents into them, in order to protect iHeart’s intellectual property, partners,data andconfidential information.”

Proprietary concerns are valid on an open-source platform such as ChatGPT. Manysmall UpperValley businesseshave expressedconcern overAI learningtoomuch, toofast and withno guardrails.While a “Rosy ”from “The Jetsons”sounds like a dream come true, many people also cited movies whereAI took over andwent outofcontrolsuch asthe “Terminator ”and “I, Robot.”

Ray Coffin, owner of All Access Infotechin WestLebanon,specializes incybersecurity andITmanagement.Coffin callsAIthe new“geewhiz technology”but cautions businessesthatthey shoulddosomerisk analysis before using it.

“Don’tput confidentialinformationinto aprogram likeChatGPT,” Coffin said. “Adding information into an AIdatabase ishow itlearns and now whatever you have added is public.”

However, Coffin doesn’t see AI as something to be feared.

“Atone time,people wereafraid that e-commerce would replace brick and mortar shopping. It did not, it became anadditional toolfor shopping,”Coffinsaid. “AI needs to be evaluated whereit canbe atool to cut costs, speed up delivery and offer better customerservice. Ithink we will see newapplications using AI that will evolve how we do business.”

Coffin also said that AI can be misused.

“Like anytool, it can beused for the negative,”hesaid. “There are people using AIlike smart malware to overcome businesses’cyber security.”

So what wouldChatGPT say on thistopic?Having neverusedthe programbefore,I decidedtofind out.

Below iswhat ChatGPTwrote whenpromptedto writeblogonhow small businesses use AI.

ChatGPT wrote:“In today’s rapidly evolvingdigital landscape, small businesses are increasingly recognizing thetransformative power of artificial intelligence (AI) in driving growth, enhancing productivity,and deliveringpersonalizedcustomerexperiences. Whileonceconsideredadomain exclusivetolarge corporations, AIhas becomemore accessibleand affordable,enabling small businesses toleverage its capabilities andgain acompetitive edge. In this blog,we will explore how small businesses are utilizing AI to optimize their operations, improve decision-making,and propeltheir success.”

ChatGPTwent onto writeparagraphs aboutenhancing customer engagement, streamliningoperations,personalizing marketingefforts, driving insights and cyberfraud prevention.

Itconcluded with:“Artificial intelligence has emerged as a gamechanger forsmall businesses,empowering them to compete in a digitally-driven economy. By harnessing thepotential ofAI, smallbusinesses can enhancecustomer engagement, streamline operations,personalize marketing efforts, drive insights, and fortify cybersecurity measures. As AI continues to advance, its accessibilityand affordabilitywill onlyincrease, opening up new possibilities for small businesses to leverage this technology for sustainedgrowth and success. It’san excitingtimefor smallbusinessesto embraceAIand unlocktheirfull potentialinaneverevolving marketplace.”

Not half bad, ChatGPT.

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