Action Greensboro and Elon University Will Launch an AI Workshop Series this Fall

At a recent breakfast about Action Greensboro’s third annual Talent & Workplace Survey, Dr. Mustafa Akben, assistant professor of management and director of Artificial Intelligence integration at Elon University, talked about the role of AI in the workforce.

Dr. Akben started his presentation by showing more than 75 business and community leaders the power of AI. He showed them a simple phrase on his PowerPoint presentation and asked what they saw. No one caught the hidden pattern. But when he fed the same phrase to ChatGPT, the AI identified that the first letter of each word spelled out, “Hey, how are you?”

“If you are not using AI to advance your work, you are missing out on a tool that can identify the patterns that humans can’t easily process,” Akben says. “I can guarantee that a hundred percent of the time when I’ve shown people this phrase, nobody catches the pattern.”

The Growing Trends of AI in Greensboro, NC

According to the Talent & Workplace Survey, local companies are using AI for data analytics (50%), automating repetitive tasks (38%) and improving customer service (26%). These usage patterns mirror national trends.

Here were some statistics Akben shared during his presentation:

• ChatGPT now ranks as the fifth most-visited website worldwide, receiving billions of visits daily.
• McKinsey & Company and MIT estimate that AI will generate up to $4 trillion in economic value annually by the 2030s.
• A Microsoft and LinkedIn survey of 30,000 global leaders said 72% of respondents said they would prefer to hire a new graduate with AI skills, rather than a candidate with experience, but no AI skills.

Akben encouraged business and community leaders to encourage their teams to embrace AI. For example, at Elon University, Akben and his team created a “digital commonplace” with more than 120 AI chatbots and agents available to all faculty, staff and students. The feedback has been positive, with some people reporting productivity increases between 40-50%.

Looking to Learn More About AI for Your Business?

But you can’t just give someone an AI tool. You have to teach them how to use it, Akben says. Good news: When it comes to training, Action Greensboro and Elon University are teaming up to do an all-day workshop on Sept. 19. Register here.

“If your employees know how to use AI, their creativity increases,” Dr. Akben says. “But if they’re not properly trained and they don’t have a fundamental understanding on how to use the technology, their creativity flatlines.”