Mitchell – Artificial intelligence experts spoke on Thursday morning about multiple benefits of using new technology to increase efficiency in the business workplace, collate critical data, and improve the overall customer experience. They agreed that it was a wave of the future.
But like all new technologies that emerged, the arrival of artificial intelligence and accessibility to the general public has caused some uncertainty. Even among the first to adopt technology.
“We are committed to providing a wide range of services,” said Lindsay Hoover, an instructor for Management Information Systems at Northern State University. “(But) we can say it’s no longer a storm that’s brewed.”
Huber was one of a handful of speakers attending the Fall Workforce Summit at Mitchell Technical College. The event welcomed students, local organizations and business leaders, collaborated with AI and used it to improve production and unlock new opportunities for growth and innovation.
Speakers at the event also included Kyle Helju, dean of the Arts and Humanities at Dakota Wesleyan University. Devon Russell, Program Director and Instructor at Mitchell Technical College. Ryan Budmire, president and CEO of the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce.
Adam Chully/Republic of Mitchell
The group covered AI from a classroom perspective, covering practical applications in the business world, and how AI will affect the future of the job market and other economic situations. Throughout the morning presentations, the theme of AI as a tool appeared frequently, not employees who replace human employees.
Huber has seen a surge in AI across the entire industry in his role as an educator.
“Companies and organizations are under pressure to do more with fewer resources. AI offers tools that help people become more productive, improve decision-making, and enable employees to focus on key terms here. “It’s also more accessible. What used to be very expensive and highly technical is at the fingertips of these everyday platforms and various apps. We’re beginning to talk about AI in so many different industries.”
These industries include healthcare, finance, retail, agriculture, manufacturing and marketing. Research shows that a majority, if not all of these industries, are already considering or using artificial intelligence in their workflows. Companies in these industries can use otter.ai to transcribe meeting notes and use Speaking.io, an AI that supports public speaking presentations and practices.
Adam Chully/Republic of Mitchell
Herges outlined how to effectively use prompts through popular AI services such as Gemini and ChatGpt. He gave examples of generating promotional images for websites through Midjourney, as he did on his own home gardening website, Kota Greens. Using commands sent to AI can effectively help you improve your marketing efforts and customer interactions.
Audiences who confirmed that most had previously used AI raised questions throughout the presentation. Instead of providing neutral information, how do you prevent AI from serving your preferences? What information should users ask AI for from privacy concerns? What is AI doing wrong?
Herges said AI has come a long way, but it’s not perfect. You should monitor the response for obvious errors. Also, good user practice is important to not only get accurate and useful results, but also to protect users from a privacy perspective.
“I don’t put customer information there. I honestly treat it like social media. So if they don’t want my Social Security number, I obviously won’t put that part there,” Herges said.
Russell outlined AI applications in a variety of industries, including manufacturing.
Manufacturing automation has been the norm for years, but integrating AI into the industry has enabled more efficient communication between those moving parts. For geospatial industries that deal with collecting information on the surface of the earth, location-based statistics allow AI to improve accuracy in many different fields.
“In manufacturing, none of the equipment is discussed with each other. Today (AI) is beginning to change all of our works and talk with each other. It helps us pass through a lot of data. AI helps us manage that data.
In agriculture, automated tractors and sprayers are already beginning to enter the fields.
These are especially useful in industries that rely on labour hired to do business. That labor is in short supply in South Dakota, recording an unemployment rate of 1.9% in July. If you find help is difficult, it can be helpful to have a machine that allows you to do the work if necessary.
“Automatic tractors – do you see everyone driving? In fact, Davison County has something that they are testing on the dealer side, just in case it belongs to them. Everyone is coming out of autonomous tractors. Why? Because farm workers have a labor shortage.” “If you can sit in a taxi and go planting or say they’re harvesting, you can pull up a cart of grain right next to me, and there’s no one in the taxi.”
People can sometimes hesitate to embrace change. The presenter noted that the arrival of emails in the 1990s was destroying workplace practices as employers wrestled with the best ways to incorporate it. Computers were generally a technical wonder that could be difficult to embrace with older generations.
Mike Lauritsen, CEO of Mitchell Chamber of Commerce and the Mitchell Regional Development Corporation, said business owners of all ages are interested in improving business efficiency and strengthening the office’s backbone. So organizers of Thursday’s event chose Artificial Intelligence, focusing on the latest incarnation of the Fall Workers Summit.
There is always an element of human workers that AI cannot exchange, and making employees more efficient and productive is an invaluable way for employers.
“Mitchell is talking about the workforce summit because he has the second lowest unemployment rate in the state. South Dakota has the lowest unemployment rate in the country. So we need to do something to help our businesses. With AI, we become more efficient.
Budmaire, the last minute alternative to South Dakota Labor Regulation Secretary, was originally Marcia Hartmann, who was scheduled to speak at the event, and said South Dakota was traditionally a relatively slow adopter of new practices and techniques. This could be a factor in the role AI will play in the future of business in South Dakota.
He said Rhode Island users save 32 hours a month using AI, while South Dakota users save only 0.8 hours a month. With low unemployment rates in South Dakota, one of the few ways to improve efficiency in the workplace could be artificial intelligence.
The technology is there and ready to use, he says, and South Dakota has the opportunity to wrap its arms now.
“In South Dakota, when there are 3% unemployment and a lot of people who have multiple jobs, there’s no work. So how can you improve your productivity? Budmayr said, “It has to be through AI. There’s workforce development, recruitment, etc. But AI has to play a role. And I think it’s a big piece.”
