AI for Good Recap
On October 8, the Baumhart Center held “AI For Good: Demystifying AI for Small Businesses and Nonprofits” with leaders from the technology, small business, and nonprofit sectors. The conversation dove in on how we can use AI in a practical way, the ethical considerations, and how organizations can prepare themselves for implementation.
Our distinguished panelists shared invaluable information during the event.
- Aisha Ahrens, Director, Digital Equity & Inclusion, Women’s Business Development Center
- Amy Guterman, Senior Director, Innovation, Philanthropy, Salesforce
- Nisaini Rexach, Community Engagement Lead, Microsoft
- Moderated by Jourdan Sorrell, Senior Manager, External Affairs, Comcast and moderator
“You can use this in an array of possibilities. As a small business owner, since you're really trying to do more with less, you could use this for personal tasks that your business keeps you away from.”
Nisaini Rexach, Community Engagement Lead, Microsoft
The conversation started with the importance of AI and how small businesses and nonprofits can implement it into their workflows. AI can help organizations scale and maximize their impact in various ways, such as marketing and grant writing. Once a luxury, tools have been implemented across many platforms to make AI accessible to many, but there is still work to do to make it accessible to all.
“Digital literacy that helps support digital equity initiatives; That’s how you’re going to get under-served and under-funded communities to really utilize AI tools and different digital tools to help their businesses grow.”
Aisha Ahrens, Director, Digital Equity & Inclusion, Women’s Business DevelopmentCenter
The conversation then shifted to some of the ethical concerns and risks of using AI. External and internal data security was a top concern, followed by updating policies to reflect the new technology and keeping communities up skilled to close the digital literacy gap. In using the technology, there is still a need for a human element in the form of critical thinking. You have to communicate clearly what you want the technology to do, vet the information received for accuracy, and make sure it reflects your organization’s values.
“There is already a digital divide between who has access to technology and who does not. While AI can have the promise of being the great equalizer and leveler of the playing field, we can’t have that unless nonprofits include AI adoption in their strategy.”
Amy Guterman Senior Director, Innovation, Philanthropy, Salesforce
The last part of the discussion focused on the future of AI and how individuals and organizations can future-proof themselves. While AI is a great tool, it still requires people to use it ethically and effectively. By training teams on AI topics such as prompt engineering, you can ensure that equity will be at the forefront of the next digital revolution.
The event concluded with questions from the audience about how they can use AI directly within their organizations.
Key Takeaways
- AI can assist small businesses and nonprofits with various tasks, such as research, marketing, onboarding, and client relationship management.
- Before implementing AI in your organization, ensure that you have the right governance, policies, and digital tenets in place.
- It is predicted that 20-50% of jobs will be changed or displaced by AI. Learn to use AI to your advantage by using the resources recommended by our panelists:
On October 8, the Baumhart Center held “AI For Good: Demystifying AI for Small Businesses and Nonprofits” with leaders from the technology, small business, and nonprofit sectors. The conversation dove in on how we can use AI in a practical way, the ethical considerations, and how organizations can prepare themselves for implementation.
Our distinguished panelists shared invaluable information during the event.
- Aisha Ahrens, Director, Digital Equity & Inclusion, Women’s Business Development Center
- Amy Guterman, Senior Director, Innovation, Philanthropy, Salesforce
- Nisaini Rexach, Community Engagement Lead, Microsoft
- Moderated by Jourdan Sorrell, Senior Manager, External Affairs, Comcast and moderator
“You can use this in an array of possibilities. As a small business owner, since you're really trying to do more with less, you could use this for personal tasks that your business keeps you away from.”
Nisaini Rexach, Community Engagement Lead, Microsoft
The conversation started with the importance of AI and how small businesses and nonprofits can implement it into their workflows. AI can help organizations scale and maximize their impact in various ways, such as marketing and grant writing. Once a luxury, tools have been implemented across many platforms to make AI accessible to many, but there is still work to do to make it accessible to all.
“Digital literacy that helps support digital equity initiatives; That’s how you’re going to get under-served and under-funded communities to really utilize AI tools and different digital tools to help their businesses grow.”
Aisha Ahrens, Director, Digital Equity & Inclusion, Women’s Business DevelopmentCenter
The conversation then shifted to some of the ethical concerns and risks of using AI. External and internal data security was a top concern, followed by updating policies to reflect the new technology and keeping communities up skilled to close the digital literacy gap. In using the technology, there is still a need for a human element in the form of critical thinking. You have to communicate clearly what you want the technology to do, vet the information received for accuracy, and make sure it reflects your organization’s values.
“There is already a digital divide between who has access to technology and who does not. While AI can have the promise of being the great equalizer and leveler of the playing field, we can’t have that unless nonprofits include AI adoption in their strategy.”
Amy Guterman Senior Director, Innovation, Philanthropy, Salesforce
The last part of the discussion focused on the future of AI and how individuals and organizations can future-proof themselves. While AI is a great tool, it still requires people to use it ethically and effectively. By training teams on AI topics such as prompt engineering, you can ensure that equity will be at the forefront of the next digital revolution.
The event concluded with questions from the audience about how they can use AI directly within their organizations.
Key Takeaways
- AI can assist small businesses and nonprofits with various tasks, such as research, marketing, onboarding, and client relationship management.
- Before implementing AI in your organization, ensure that you have the right governance, policies, and digital tenets in place.
- It is predicted that 20-50% of jobs will be changed or displaced by AI. Learn to use AI to your advantage by using the resources recommended by our panelists: