[TRANSCRIPT]
0:00:00 - (Doug Jenkins): Coming up next on Chamber Amplified, I'll.
0:00:02 - (Michael Richards): Bring in like small businesses within their district and bring in how they're utilizing the technology, how that is benefiting them, really make them understand, you know, how interconnected all this is with different technologies, including other policy debates that are happening at any given time.
0:00:20 - (Doug Jenkins): Hello and welcome to the show.
0:00:22 - (C): I'm Doug Jenkins from the Findlay Hancock.
0:00:24 - (Doug Jenkins): County Chamber of Commerce.
0:00:25 - (C): On each episode of Chamber amplified were.
0:00:27 - (Doug Jenkins): Examining issues impacting the local business community, whether its employee recruitment and retention, marketing it issues, its really anything that can impact your business on a daily basis.
0:00:36 - (C): Our goal is to give our members.
0:00:38 - (Doug Jenkins): Tips each week on at least one way they can improve operations and thrive in the current business environment, or at the very least give you a heads up on something coming down the road. A little over a year ago, the US Chamber of Commerce issued a report on artificial intelligence and its potential impact on business. The report takes a look at how you and I will use AI for work, as well as the legislative policies pertaining to artificial intelligence.
0:01:01 - (Doug Jenkins): Needless to say, it's a lengthy document, but a very important one, and I'll link to it in the show notes if you'd like some light reading on that subject. My guest today is US chamber of Commerce senior director of policy Michael Richards. We're going to talk about how the us chamber got so many people around the table to talk about the issue, how AI has changed a bunch since that report was published last year, and how he's seeing small businesses already use artificial intelligence to stay strong in an increasingly competitive economy.
0:01:29 - (Doug Jenkins): Thanks again for tuning in. Remember, if you're listening on Apple podcasts or Spotify, you can rate and review the show. It really does help spread the word. Now let's get into it.
0:01:38 - (C): So, artificial intelligence, we've talked about it a little bit here on the podcast. You've talked about it, I think, ad.
0:01:44 - (Doug Jenkins): Nauseam, as you were saying right before.
0:01:46 - (C): For 1415 months, ever since the artificial intelligence Commission report came out from the us chamber. A lot to cover, and I'm not going to ask you to all break it down in a matter of seconds. But, but what are some of the things, as you continue to talk about it, and since we're several months out now from the report, when you read back on it, what are some of the things that stick out to you that maybe didn't initially pop off the page?
0:02:10 - (Michael Richards): Yeah, no, that's a great question. And again, thank you for having me. So I think important to put some context around the report and when it came out so the report was released in March of 2023. The report actually started at the beginning of 2022, and the commission that we put together, which was two former members of Congress, John Delaney from Maryland, Mike Ferguson from New Jersey, and developed around kind of civil society think tanks as well as industry representation within the commission to do a lot of legwork. Right. And, you know, really, this is something that chamber has done only once or twice in the past of allowing an independent commission to really go out, hear from stakeholders, hear from really the leading experts, and provide an independent evaluation and thoughts regarding the issues surrounding artificial intelligence. And I think one of the things which continues to pop out at me, that wasn't something that I'd be really, really thinking of as it came out, was generative AI and the large language models in which have taken over the discussion over the last year and a half.
0:03:24 - (Michael Richards): This report was almost finished when that actually came out. So think about just how quickly the technology has advanced in just a short period of time. That being said, I think a lot of what the report touches on does actually do a good job of providing good recommendations regarding specific use of that technology as well, which I think was a good thing for us to see that something, the word product is very much incumbent of what really the way in which we should approach things.
0:03:57 - (C): You mentioned that it's very rare that the us chamber has an independent commission look into something like this, which I think just underscores the importance of AI going forward. This is going to be something that's part of our daily lives, whether it's in your house, whether it's in your business. So to be able to get a bunch of different people around the table to talk about it, somewhat unprecedented, but also good to know that you're able to get those people to collaborate and really take a look at the issue.
0:04:24 - (Michael Richards): Yeah, I mean, so I think it's important to note that that's where the chamber's always been. So in 2019, the chamber put out our AI principles, and the first principle, if you go and look at them, indicates the need to bring everyone to the table to have this discussion. I think the chamber noticed that that had not happened in a way in which really needed to, and understanding that us being a competing factor that really others can't do, we took it upon ourselves to do it.
0:04:52 - (Michael Richards): And I think that who we were able to put on the commission are really some of the all stars and experts that have been showcased not just within the commission, but elsewhere. So Christina Montgomery from IBM was one of our commissioners. She actually testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee, alongside Sam Altman from OpenAI, we have Alex D'Amicus, who is the co director of the lab. And University of Texas Austin, we have Adam Thier, who is a leading expert on AI regulation and kind of policy for R Street. So we really did have a lot of great experts, including Chris Messerel, who is now leading the work at the Frontier Model forum, which is working with all the top generative AI companies.
0:05:47 - (C): I think what's interesting about that group is certainly that's a group who are, I mean, you talk about Sam Altman certainly invested in AI and AI succeeding, but I think they also know the risks with AI as well. It's not not a group that saw, that's Gung ho. Let's see what we can do and think about the consequences later. I do think that group's pretty well balanced and having people have that ethical take on it, and I would imagine that's what the chamber was looking to do there.
0:06:14 - (Michael Richards): Yeah, absolutely. I think it was important to have an understanding and bringing different perspectives together for a conversation that just was not happening. I think another thing in which we were really wanting to make sure happens that we had people together in the room who are willing to have the discussion. I think a lot of the times when we see discussion starting to happen on artificial intelligence, you know, people get into each of their corners and just are not willing to have the dialogue that's necessary when it comes to something important like this.
0:06:43 - (Michael Richards): I think the people who we had a part of the commission really leaned into the ability to have that discussion. And, you know, it really did play out in ways in which we kind of see in society right now, as well as just kind of in general, and that a lot of people have their own backgrounds that they're bringing into these debates. And a lot of times they end up speaking past each other, not because they're trying to, just because that's where they are within their career and their specific technical expertise that they have. You know, again, when you have researchers who are leading academic and kind of at the edge compute and resource work at major labs, also working with policymakers who may be not as in depth on those kind of things, it does take a little bit of time for them to kind of talk things out.
0:07:32 - (Michael Richards): And we really were able to provide that opportunity to do that through the process. Throughout the 14 months that it took.
0:07:40 - (C): You talk about the policymakers. And I think sometimes when we talk about emerging technologies and especially a technology that can be as disruptive as AI has the potential to be policy can lag, and a lot of times policymakers are maybe not in the group that's going to be using the tool that's being debated. What is the us chamber's role in trying to keep policymakers informed on AI while also giving them the business case for the use of AI, which we'll get into here in just a little bit.
0:08:09 - (Michael Richards): Yeah, absolutely. So, I mean, part of CTEC and the division that I sit in in the chamber, which is the chamber Technology Engagement center, are one of our core missions, is actually telling the story of technology and how it's going to benefit society and the lives of everyday Americans and businesses. So I have the great opportunity on a day to day basis to talk with policymakers and really provide that perspective, bring it back home, literally back home, because I'll bring in like small businesses within their district and bring in how they're utilizing the technology, how that is benefiting them, really make them understand how interconnected all this is with different technologies, including other policy debates that are happening at any given time to provide an important perspective and that a rush on some things, they may inadvertently bring other things in which they were not planning to bring into that scope.
0:09:03 - (Michael Richards): And that's an opportunity that we have on a day to day basis on that front.
0:09:08 - (C): So you talk about the small businesses that are already using it and telling their story. What are some interesting use cases that you've seen where small businesses have been able to use, whether it's chat, GPT, or some of these more boutique AI programs? Like for instance, we use decipher to get our transcript for the podcast. It helps write up promos for the podcast. All this stuff that I don't necessarily have time to do.
0:09:30 - (C): Boy, it's really nice to just feed that audio in there and get some talking points out of it right away. What are some of the interesting cases you've seen, though?
0:09:38 - (Michael Richards): So, I mean, some of the stories that stand out most to me are the ones in which, you know, it's the small business who wanted to get their hands dirty, right? Who wanted to dive in and really play around with the technology and be able to see how they can really harness it for the betterment of their company. And so, you know, things like we had a small business come and talk with a group in California who runs food truck, and they were able to tell the story about how they're using all the tools to determine where people are so they can make sure that they're in front of them at the right time. And actually be able to micro target to actually make sure that they're getting the updates to those people to ensure that they're notified that, hey, I'm outside, do you want to come get a bite? And, you know, that's the kind of things in which, you know, small businesses are able to take advantage of by utilizing the technology on top of that. So one of the things in which the chamber does yearly, we actually put out a small business technology report which really highlights how the technology is being utilized by small businesses continues to showcase how small businesses who are investing in technology, who are investing in artificial intelligence are the ones who are able to grow and compete for larger businesses. On top of that, those who are investing actually in technology, the ones who are able to grow, I think a lot of people might think that that might be a barrier to injury because you're putting resources into potentially software and tools, but because of that investment, they've been able to grow at a scale that allows them to also eventually bring on more people, which is really counter to the narrative that you're constantly hearing as that things are going to take jobs. Well, that's actually just not the case. What we're seeing is those who are investing in technology are the ones who are actually able to create more jobs.
0:11:31 - (C): It seems to be, and you can correct me if I'm wrong here, but, and this is, I guess, anecdotal, it's.
0:11:36 - (Doug Jenkins): Been my experience with AI, but we.
0:11:38 - (C): Use it for for a position we.
0:11:41 - (Doug Jenkins): Were never going to hire for.
0:11:43 - (C): Like we're not going to hire somebody to create subject lines for emails because I'm notoriously bad at coming up with subject lines for emails. So I'll just put it in chat. GPT hey, read this email. Suggest five subject lines for that type of thing. That's not something that you hire someone for. And I think from what I've seen.
0:12:00 - (Doug Jenkins): At least in our area, that seems.
0:12:02 - (C): To be the use case for it.
0:12:04 - (Doug Jenkins): Just in small doses.
0:12:05 - (C): If you're just dipping your toe into it where you're not really assigning it a job, you're just using it as another tool to amplify what it is that you actually do.
0:12:15 - (Michael Richards): Yeah, that's exactly right. That's the majority of what we're hearing. And, you know, it's really augmenting, you know, what you would already be doing and just providing another way to achieve it in a much more efficient manner. You know, I think that's an important part of what needs to be continued to be brought to the forefront and how the technology is being used as I think we're seeing this over and over and over again. I think one of the things I continue to stress when I'm talking to policymakers and businesses and the business community is that artificial intelligence isn't new by any means. This is something that's been around for decades and decades.
0:12:53 - (Michael Richards): The term was coined in the 1950s and that, you know, it's just become oblivious in our lives and that people just don't really understand that or just not thinking in those terms. You know, almost all of us have an iPhone or some type of smartphone at this point in time who has, you know, Siri or that's artificial intelligence. You know, the majority of us have virus protection on our computers. That is artificial intelligence.
0:13:17 - (Michael Richards): You know, most of us, especially in the business community, are using something on the backend for HR or for compliance reasons. There's a lot of AI in that. A lot of us are using word, you know, being able to or Microsoft Word for, you know, spell check and things like that. That's artificial intelligence. I mean, I like to continue to point out Clippy, who was one of the original versions of Microsoft Word, but that was a bot that was there to kind of help you and interact with you. And, you know, that is, you know, for all purposes, artificial intelligence. So it's something in which I like to remind people that while, you know, the advancements in the technology are there, and that's because of, you know, the ability to for much more compute and scale of what we're doing.
0:14:03 - (Michael Richards): The technology by no means is new.
0:14:06 - (C): So for businesses that are looking to maybe get started in using it in.
0:14:11 - (Doug Jenkins): Some way, shape or form, maybe they.
0:14:13 - (C): Don'T even know what they want to use it for just yet, but they know that the tools are there. What are the ways for them to get started and do it in a way that they feel is ethical and in line with their mission and what they want to do for their business.
0:14:26 - (Michael Richards): Yeah, I mean, I think it's important to understand what the use of the tool is, what they're wanting to do for, because I think that really is a lot of what, you know, the purpose for what you're setting out to do. So as far as, you know, you know, finding a tool that will do X, Y and Z, obviously, generative AI tools are going to do a lot of things. That's what they're therefore right. And then you can fine tune them underneath to make a specific, you know, for a specific use or specific reason.
0:14:58 - (Michael Richards): But those are more generative, general on purpose. And then you can also look at narrow uses of the tools. And at that point in time, there are a lot of vendors and companies out there who are looking to do just those, provide that expertise for you. You know, I can't speak to exactly how the best route is for you to pick which one that would be, but I think there is a lot there and a lot of great resources out there for people to review to make that determination.
0:15:26 - (C): My guess is that if you're, wherever you're working, you've probably been hit with a targeted Facebook ad or something about a company that's using AI to some degree. So you might even, just, might even just start with that. Michael, we'll link to the intelligent or the AI commission report in the show notes, but are there other resources for people to learn a little bit more about what's happening on the legislative side or just to kind of follow what other small businesses are doing?
0:15:53 - (Michael Richards): Yeah, I think there's a lot of resources out there that I would, you know, ask or I would, you know, point people to. One, the chamber technology engagement center, the division that I work in. We do a weekly newsletter that has a lot of information about what's happening on Capitol Hill, as well as legislation, comments in which we are filing or working through to provide feedback from the business community.
0:16:16 - (Michael Richards): There are other resources out there as well, things like within the government, the federal government itself, NIST, national institutes, standards and technology. For those who are very interested in the regulatory and ways in which regulatory be the wrong ways, but frameworks and standardizations regarding artificial intelligence, NIST has the AI risk management framework and the building out profiles. Those are areas in which you can review and see best practices for AI governance.
0:16:46 - (Michael Richards): So there is a lot of resources out there. Again, also, connecting with your local chamber is always a great opportunity to talk about what's local, who you can talk to as a resource in the locally, because the local business owners we have seen have this kind of expertise and knowledge that they are willing to share. We've actually seen this in some of our polling that we put out there as well, is that there's interest in, you know, people being able to use their us chamber and the state chambers as resources.
0:17:17 - (C): Very good. Well, we appreciate your time talking about this and certainly something we'll be keeping an eye on for quite some time. So thank you for your time today.
0:17:26 - (Michael Richards): Absolutely. Thank you for having me.
0:17:32 - (Doug Jenkins): Big thanks again to Michael for joining us here on the podcast.
0:17:35 - (C): Certainly, artificial intelligence is something that we're going to be providing programming for and information for a bunch over the coming weeks and years here at the chamber.
0:17:43 - (Doug Jenkins): The best way to stay up to date with AI related topics locally is to subscribe to our newsletter, which you can do on our website. And again, that's finleyhancockchamber.com. and as a reminder, the US Chamber.
0:17:55 - (C): Of Commerce Report on AI is linked.
0:17:57 - (Doug Jenkins): In the show notes for this podcast. Chamber Amplified is a free podcast for the community thanks to the investment of members from the Findlay Hancock County Chamber of Commerce.
0:18:06 - (C): Because of our robust membership, we're able.
0:18:08 - (Doug Jenkins): To focus on providing timely information to the Findlay and Hancock county business community, run leadership programs for adults and teenagers, and be an advocate for the area while also providing tools to help local businesses succeed. If that sounds like something you'd like.
0:18:22 - (C): To be a part of, just let.
0:18:23 - (Doug Jenkins): Me know and we can talk about how an investment in the chamber helps strengthen not just the community, but your business as well. That'll do it for this week's episode. If you have ideas for topics you'd like to hear covered in the future, just send me an email dashenkinshinllyhancockchamber.com thanks again for listening. We'll see you next time on chamber amplified from the Findlay Hancock County Chamber of Commerce.