AI: Friend or Foe for local businesses?

Artificial intelligence, otherwise known as AI, has the power to maximize a product. Including local businesses like Vectra Digital.

“It’s been a real game changer for us to service our clients better, help the economy, help grow jobs,” said Harrison Ambs, chief strategy officer at Vectra Digital.

As a digital marketing firm in Southwest Florida, AI allows Ambs and his team to stretch ideas beyond their imagination.

“We use it for data analytics insight, basically, whatever makes my team smarter,” Ambs said. “We’re going to use it for that.”

And it can help a company take off.

“Not only are we in Florida, but we also have headquarters in Texas, New York, and then we’re the number 2 Google Premier partner internationally, and in the top 10 with Microsoft,” said Jackie Habermehl, support associate for Infiflex, Inc.

But AI has its risks.

And that’s why even the experts invited to speak at the Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce‘s monthly luncheon on Tuesday said they don’t always fully trust it.

“The biggest thing for us with AI is the security risk,” said Brandi Couse, CEO of MashGrape Technologies.

“Think of it like a very eager intern,” Ambs said. “It really wants to do an amazing job, but it knows next to nothing about your business. You got to make sure you put guardrails in place for it to be effective, or else it’s going to veer off in a direction you might not be ready for.”

While AI can have its downsides, the experts said it’s something the world must embrace because AI isn’t going anywhere.

Instead – we need to hone it, especially here in Southwest Florida.

“Think about all the students of FGCU, FSW, and local colleges that looked around the devastation and thought, well, I can’t get a job here. And they leave,” said Ambs. “Having companies like mine and like the other ones that are here at the panels, it really helps educate that these [students], they don’t necessarily have to leave Southwest Florida.”